lord of the flies study guide

Transcription

Lord of the Flies
by Liza Louw
The symbolic meaning of the story
I’ll reveal to you
It’s like nothing you ever heard before
it could happen to you too
This book begins with an air fight
Children were shot down during flight
Falling down in a tube
They landed on and island, nude.
Once they landed they discovered
That they were all alone
There were no grownups on the island
And they wanted to go home
They all voted for Ralph to be chief
But all was not well
Jack wanted to take his place
No matter what, he thought he was swell
Ralph portrays the will of man
And Jack was all emotion
Jack, the one to stir things up
And cause a big commotion
Simon has a conscience
An Piggy’s full of reason
The two of them and Ralph together
Are the good tide of this season
In this book, good fights evil
But who will win the quest?
Will Jack win the game
and finally beat the rest?
In the book it says that they
Were scared of a beast
They left a pig’s head for the monster
For him to go and feast
But conscience figured
That they were the beasties by themselves
That they were the ones becoming evil
Melting in like one with the devil
When the shell was finally battered
Law and order were also scattered
With conscience and reason out of his way
Jack thought: “That’s all I have to say”/
When emotion stole Piggy;s specs
Light and goodness were torn apart
Without specs reason was blind
Regression was about to start
Behind the mask Jack’s feelings were hidden
aren’t we all the same?
Do we try to hide ourselves
And play emotions’ game?
This story is about a couple of boys
Without any self control
When push comes to shove
They took a look into their souls.
Didn’t the author want us to see
What happens to us all?
How we act in situations?
Do we stand, or do we fall?
(Grade 10)
Contents
1. How to use this guide
2. The Author
3. Overview
4. Characters
5. Metaphor Analysis
6. Themes
7. Cartoons and Teacher’s guide
8. Questions on each chapter
9. Answers to questions
How to use this guide
This guide covers 75% of the contents of the prescribed book “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding.
The whole prescribed book has been converted into a cartoon. The characters in the cartoon use
the exact words the characters in the book use. It is an excellent way for students to visualize the
events in the book.
The guide provides explicit explanations of each frame in the cartoon. The cartoon serves as an
excellent summary of the story and highlights all the important events in the book.
It is recommended that students read the prescribed book at home. The book does not have to be
read in class. Students who want to excell need to read the book.
Questions are set on each chapter and suggested answers to these questions are given.
This is a detailed discussion of the prescribed book. No additional sources are required. The
cartoons will make the book come alive and easily understood instantly by students who listen.
Students and teachers will benefit from this guide.
This copy belongs to the school. The school may make as many copies as necessary for students in the specific school. No part of this
guide may be given to unauthorized persons. Authorized persons are enrolled students or teachers at the school. Students in schools may
pay copy costs.
The Author
During World War II, Golding enlisted in the British Royal Navy. He
was first involved in anti-submarine and anti-aircraft operations. In
1944 he was part of the D-Day Naval support operations for the
landings at Normandy. The war changed Golding’s view about
man’s nature. Golding came to believe that everyone had an evil
side.
After the war, Golding taught in a boy’s school. As he taught, he
wrote novels. Golding’s first three novels were never published. The
fourth one he wrote was Lord of the Flies.
He used his experiences from the war and his teaching as sources
for this novel. The characters are based on children he taught. His novel was turned down by more
than twenty publishers before it was published in 1954.
Lord of the Flies is a very controversial novel. The brilliancy of the novel was not discovered until the
1960s when it captured the imaginations of college students. Many people feel that Lord of the flies
is a one-sided work because it does not allow the reader to form his own opinion.
Golding was awarded the Nobel prize for Literature in 1983. The award was given to the writer for all
his work and not one particular volume.
William Golding passed away in Wiltshire, England, in 1993.
Overview
The story is set on an island. The island is isolated from society and makes sure the boys cannot be influenced from the
outside.
A group of British school boys crash on this tropical island while being transported to a safer location during war time. No
grown ups survive the crash.
Golding explores the boys’ ability to establish a civilized unit on the island or their inability to establish a civilized unit on
the island.
He uses children, because children are supposedly innocent. With this story Golding wants to see whether darkness or
goodness in man’s heart will be the victor.
Jack, one of the main characters, is susceptible to “darkness” and Ralph, another main character, is always inclined to
do what is right and good. These two boys are opposites to each other. Ralph is elected chief. Jack however, wants to be
chief. A power struggle develops between Ralph and Jack.
The whole story evolves around this power struggle. The island is wild and uncivilized. Jack is more at home on it than
Ralph. Golding insinuates that civilization ensures the survival of man in a civilized manner. Ralph tries to establish a
civilized environment where there are rules, order and shelter. Jack ignores the civilized environment and makes the
wild, uncivilized island his environment. He rejects all order and civilized actions. He gives himself over to his desires
and the darkness within his heart.
Because Jack is in his natural environment, he succeeds in shrinking Ralph’s civilized world. In the end only Ralph is left
to represent civilization.
The main conflict in the story is the conflict between Ralph and Jack. Ralph and Jack each have characters who help
them to establish their worlds:
Jack and his hunters eliminate Ralph’s allies, one by one.
In the beginning of the story Ralph established a civilized world. His world is threatened by FEAR. The little children on
the island are afraid. They convey this fear to the bigger children and give it a name. They call it a beast, or a “snake
thing“. Instead of eliminating fear, Jack embraces it, turns it into something real by saying he and his hunters will hunt the
“beast “ or “snake”. Ralph knows, that for the sake of their survival, it would be better if there is no beast, no fear.
This fear later drives Jack over the edge. He must forget who he is in order to cope with the fear. In order to forget who
he is, he paints himself and becomes a savage. He convinces his hunters that this is the way to confront fear. Near the
end Jack is completely irrational and savage. He has to erase everything that reminds him where he comes from,
therefore Ralph and his followers must be eliminated..
Ralph
Piggy
Simon
Sam and Eric
Jack
The choir/Hunters
Roger
Characters
Ralph
Ralph has fair hair, is very tall and thin. Jack is the only other character that has the same
physical stature as Ralph. This is appropriate because these two character compete
against each other in their beliefs about their lives on the island.
Ralph represents the perfect human, someone who does good but isn’t so
out-of-touch that he can’t relate to normal human temptations.
Ralph realizes that the island is just a temporary home.
They have a real home to go back to, a civilized world. He wants to keep them all civilized
and organised on the island until they can go home. He orders the building of a signal fire.
The signal fire represents his constant hope that they will be rescued. The signal fire is a
constant reminder for all that the island is not there home.
Ralph has a will that drives him to always do what is right. He uses this will to inspire
the rest.
He is elected chief. He has a democratic rule in that he allows the children to vote and decide things.
Jack
Jack is tall, thin and bony. He has red hair. His face is crumpled and freckled, almost
ugly without silliness. He has light blue eyes that can show anger very quickly.
Jack is the leader of anarchy on the island. He is the leader of the choir. The choir
becomes his hunters and he is in charge of the hunters. Jack feels that his desires is
the most important and should always be satisfied regardless of reason or morals.
Golding believe society will turn into Jacks if
there are no rules or order. Golding believes there is a constant struggle in man
between that which is civil, and that which is savage. Ralph and Jack portrays this
struggle. The evil, savage desires in man is much stronger than the desire to be good.
If man is placed in a fearful situation, he will become savage in order to survive.
Jack is unable to face fear on the island. He becomes savage, he forgets who he is in
order to live with fear.
When Jack becomes chief of the hunters, his rule is autocratic. There is no
discussion and no voting. He decides for all.
Piggy
Piggy is short and fat. He wears spectacles and suffers from asthma. His hair never seems to
grow. He represents reason and logic. He represents the grown up world. He constantly
reminds the children of grown ups.
It is no coincidence that his nickname is Piggy and that
the hunters are hunting pigs on the island. Piggy represents everything that Jack hates.
Indirectly by hunting pigs Jack is also destroying or hunting Piggy.
Piggy’s hair never grows which shows he is not susceptible to anarchism or decay. He will
not be influenced by the savagery of Jack.
Piggy thinks for Ralph. He helps Ralph to establish a civilisation. Piggy talks about making
sundials so they know the time, he wants to make a list of all the children on the island. He
wants the boys to think before they act.
He obeys the rules and constantly remind them of the rules. He is a protector of the conch and for what the conch
stands for: order. Piggy believes in the scientific explanation of everything. The fact that there is a “beast” on the island,
confuses him because it is irrational.
Piggy is an outsider. The boys reject him because of his looks and because of what he represents. The only one to
ever listen to him, is Ralph. Ralph only realises after Piggy’s death, how valuable an ally
Piggy was.
Simon
Simon is a skinny, vivid little boy with coarse black hair. Simon knows what the “littluns”
(smaller boys) experience on the island as well as the “biguns“ (bigger boys).
Simon represents human conscience on the
island. He is very aware of what is morally right and what is morally wrong.
When he is present on the island he makes Jack experience feelings of guilt.
Jack hates that.
Simon is special in that he has a special understanding of events on the island. Simon is almost a prophet-like figure. He
is intelligent and sensible.
Unfortunately he lacks the ability to convey his thoughts to the boys and they
don’t understand what he says. The boys think Simon is odd because of what he says and because he is not afraid of the
beast or the darkness.
Simon knows there is no beast on the island. He is unable to convince the boys of this. Simon knows they are driven by
fear, the boys do not understand this.
Simon discovers the true identity of the beast. He sees how Jack gives himself over to anarchy and darkness. Simon
has a discussion with this beast in a vision.
He is killed before he can reveal the truth about the beast to the boys. When Simon is killed, all feelings of guilt are
removed from the boys.
Roger
Roger is evil. He is a small boy with dirty and shaggy black hair. He has no mercy,
and is the first one on the island to kill somebody intentionally. He gets sadistic
pleasure from torturing a pig. Roger is Jack’s most loyal helper and he carries out all
Jack’s orders.
Roger shows that he has within him the seed to
harm others. Early in the book he throws stones at Henry but does not hit him. He is still
restricted by civilization. Later, when most of civilisation is removes as well as guilt, he
kills with pleasure.
Sam & Eric
Sam and Eric are twins. It is difficult to distinguish between the two. They
represent unity and the need humans have for moral support from each other.
They do everything together. They respect Ralph because he gives them a sense
of security.
There main task throughout the book is
to tend the fire. Later they are called Samneric, as if they are one.
Sam and Eric know what loyalty means,
they have been practising it on each other. They stay loyal to Ralph, because that
is what loyalty is all about. They stay loyal until the bitter end. Jack has to force
them to leave Ralph by capturing them. Jack tortures them and forces them to
change sides. Anarchy destroys loyalty. There is no place for genuine loyalty in
Jack’s world, people are made loyal through fear.
Theme Analysis
The sinful nature in man causes problems in society. If the defects of human nature are not taken into consideration, a
government cannot govern that society successfully.
Jack and his hunters represent the defects of human nature. Left alone to fend for themselves on the island, they revert
to savagery. This shows that man is inherently evil.
The story is set during the World War II. The officer that finds Ralph in the end represents the adult world. The adult
world will prevent the boys from remaining savage. Golding asks the question: “Who will prevent the adult world from
killing?”.
The boys’ society on the island is initially a mirror image of adult society.
The two extremes of society are represented by Jack and Piggy. Jack wants total anarchism and Piggy wants law and
order. Ralph is in the middle. As the government, the chief, he must satisfy both extremes. It seems as if Ralph decides
in the end the join Piggy. He never decided. Jack forced Ralph into a position by becoming absolute extreme.
Anarchy defeats order. If the public does not want to be governed, they will not be. Golding shows that any government
has to give in to the demands of its people.
It seems as if Jack is successful in his government because he uses force. Is Golding trying to tell us force is necessary?
Would things have been different on the island if Ralph had challenged Jack to a duel early, beaten him and then
punished those who break the rules?
Metaphor Analysis
The Beast
The real object that frightens the boys on the island is the beast, Lord of the Flies. The beast is
something internal; the Lord of the Flies is in the soul and mind of the boys. The beast is the fear of
the boys. They have changed their fear into something realistic. Only Simon understands what the
beast is. The beast represents everything the boys are afraid of.
Face paint
The paint becomes masks behind which the boys hide. It helps them forget about civilization. By
painting themselves they create savage identities. The paint symbolizes anarchy.
Fire/Smoke
The smoke symbolizes hope. Without smoke the boys have no hope of getting rescues.
Fire becomes the key to everybody’s survival. Ralph uses the fire to get rescued.
Jack wants to use the fire to destroy. He holds feasts and uses the fire to harm.
The Spectacles
The spectacles symbolize wisdom, insight, reason and logic.
Piggy uses the spectacles to solve the problems of the boys. He can light the fire using his
spectacles as a magnifying glass.
The one with the spectacles controls the fire. The one in charge of the fire determines the destiny of
the boys.
The Island
The island represents isolation. Nothing can influence the natural instincts of human nature on the
island. The strongest desire in man will be the victor.
The Conch
The conch symbolizes law, order, authority and the old adult world.
Jack ignores the authority of the conch and therefore makes room for anarchy.
Lord of the Flies Guide
Chapter 1 - The
Sound of the Shell
Frame 1
A boy is struggling through the creepers and thick
vegetation on the island, when somebody calls out to
him and asks him to wait. He has on a school uniform.
The island is not friendly. Birds have “witch-like” cries
and the creeper things hold him back. It is also very hot.
Frame 2
The boy who called him is very fat. He finds it very
difficult to move through the undergrowth. He already
has thorns in his knees. He wears thick spectacles.
Frame 3
They discuss the whereabouts of the grown-ups who
accompanied them. The thin boy suspects their are no
grown-ups and that they are on an island. The pilot flew
of with the plane. The other children must be scattered
all over the island.
The thin boy gets a huge grin when he realizes there
are no grown-ups on the island. He thinks of all the fun
that they can have if there are no grown-ups to restrict
them or to tell them what to do. The possibilities are
endless.
Frame 4
They quickly recap what happened. They were in a
plane. They, boys from different schools, were
evacuated from England because of the war. Their
plane was attacked and caught fire. The plane was
fitted out with a detachable passenger tube. The tube,
with the passengers in it, was released.
Frame 5
The tube crash landed on the island. It left a huge scar
on the island as it skidded across it. Children were
thrown clear from the tube.
Frame 6
The tube ended up in the sea. The current washed the
tube away, with the remaining people maybe still in it.
Frame 7
The thin boy’s name is Ralph. He has fair hair. Fair hair
is a symbol of goodness. Ralph represents the Will of
Man. He has that instinct to do what is right, and he has
the will to survive. He has the will to go on but is not
extremely intelligent.
There are many things that make the fat boy
unacceptable. He wears spectacles. He has asthma
and lives according to a set of rules his Auntie set for
him. He represents Reason on the island. He has the
ability to analyse situations and to understand logic. He
knows the reasonable things that must be done.
Unfortunately, because of his appearance, nobody
wants to listen to him. The green fruit he has eaten
troubles the fat boy. This indicates that the island the
boys landed on is not friendly. The boys are
continuously afflicted by something on the island. If the
fruit does not make them ill, the sun burns them or the
vegetation is so thick they find it difficult to move. There
are also creeper plants that look like snakes.
Frame 8
Ralph climbed over a broken trunk and was out of the
jungle.
“The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood
or leaned or reclined against the light and their green
feathers were a hundred feet up in the air. The ground
beneath them was a bank covered with course grass,
torn everywhere by the upheavals of fallen trees,
scattered with decaying coconuts and palm saplings.
Behind this were the darkness of the forest proper and
the open space of the scar. Ralph stood, one hand
against a grey trunk, and screwed up his eyes against
the shimmering water. Out there, perhaps a mile away,
the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that
the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of
coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake, -blue of all
shades and shadowy green and purple.
The beach between the palm terrace and the water was
a thin bow-stave, endless apparently, for to Ralph’s left
the perspectives of palm and beach and water drew to a
point at infinity; ant always, almost visible, was the
heat.”
FROM: GOLDING,
W. 1991,
LORD OF THE FLIES
,
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY FAKENHAM
PRESS LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P. 14,15).
Frame 9
Ralph discovers a lagoon that was formed on the
beach. In front of it is some kind of platform. The fat boy
informs Ralph that he does not want to be called Piggy
when they make a list of names of all the boys left on
the island. Ralph teases Piggy a little and then swims in
the lagoon while Piggy is watching. Piggy is not
swimming because his Auntie would not let him and on
account of his asthma. Ralph thinks both reasons are
silly. After he tells Piggy this, Piggy undresses and sits
in the water and watches Ralph.
Frame 10
Piggy informs Ralph that he thinks nobody knows
where they are. Ralph then tells Piggy that his father will
come and rescue them. His father is in the navy, and at
the airport the people will know where they are. Piggy
them reminds Ralph about the atom bomb and that it
may just be possible that everybody is dead. Piggy
insists that they find the others on the island. Ralph
however thinks the island is another “Coral Island”
where they can survive happily.
Frame 11
When Ralph looks into the water he sees something at
the bottom. It is a huge shell. The shell is called a
conch. Piggy explains that you can blow on the conch,
like a trumpet. The conch is a symbol for Government
on the island.
Frame 12
Piggy explains to Ralph that his uncle had a conch like
that. He teaches Ralph how to blow on the conch. Piggy
reasons that they can use the conch to call all the
survivors together. Ralph masters the art of blowing the
conch and it makes a tremendous sound that disturbs
the whole island.
Frame 13
Boys come from all directions towards the sound. As
they arrive at the platform, Piggy begins to ask them
their names. Little boys and bigger ones, all in different
uniforms. Twins arrived with the names of Sam and
Eric.
Frame 14
“Within the diamond haze of the beach something dark
was fumbling along. Ralph saw it first, and watched till
the intentness of his gaze drew all eyes that way. Then
the creature stepped from mirage on to clear sand, and
they saw that the darkness was not all shadow but
mostly clothing. The creature was a party of boys,
marching approximately in step in two parallel lines and
dressed in strangely eccentric clothing. Shorts, shirts,
and different garments they carried in their hands: but
each boy wore a square cap with a silver badge in it.”
FROM: GOLDING,
W. 1991, LORD
, PRINTED IN GREAT
OF THE FLIES
BRITAIN BY FAKENHAM
PRESS LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P. 26).
Frame 15
“Their bodies, from throat to ankle, were hidden by
black cloaks which bore a long silver cross on the left
breast and each neck was finished off with a hambone
frill. The heat of the tropics, the descent, the search for
food, and now this sweaty march along the blazing
beach had given them the complexions of newly
washed plums. The boy who controlled them was
dressed in the same way though his cap badge was
golden. When his party was about ten yards from the
platform he shouted an order and they halted, gasping,
sweating, swaying in the fierce light. The boy himself
came forward, vaulted on to the platform with his cloak
flying, and peered into what to him was almost complete
darkness.”
FROM: GOLDING,
W. 1991,
LORD OF THE FLIES
,
PRESS LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P. 26,27).
Frame 16
The leader of the group of boys wants to know where
the man is who blew the trumpet. Ralph says it was only
he. They should join them for a meeting. The leader
hesitates.
Frame 17
One of the boys in the choir faints. His name is Simon.
This forces the leader to let his group join the meeting.
Frame 18
The leader of the choir introduced himself as Jack
Merridew. Piggy begins to introduce all the other boys
when Jack rudely silences him. Ralph points out that
Piggy is called ‘Piggy” and not “Fatty”. All the boys
laughed at this. Piggy does not feel good.
Frame 19
Jack Merridew takes charge. He has red hair. Jack
represents the human emotion on the Island. He only
does the things he likes to do. He is very impulsive and
inconsistent.
Frame 20
Ralph suggests it may be a good idea if they have a
chief who will decide things.
Frame 21
Jack feels he should be the chief. This is Emotion at
work. He wants to be the chief. Roger suggests a vote
and the group accepts the suggestion gladly. Jack
wants to protest against the voting but the boys make to
much noise.
Frame 22
Only the choir votes for Jack, the rest for Ralph. Piggy
raises his hand hesitantly because he expects he will
also be nominated as chief. Since he is not he has to
vote for Ralph.
Frame 23
Ralph is chief. He decides that Jack can remain in
charge of the choir. Jack decides the choir will become
hunter.
Frame 24
Ralph’s first decision is that they must explore the
island. He, Simon and Jack will go. Simon represents
Conscience on the island. He is the feeling of guilt each
of us has when we know we have done something
wrong. Your conscience is supposed to prevent you
from doing something wrong. Conscience is also
needed to keep Will of man (Ralph) and Emotion (Jack)
apart.
Frame 25
They discover flowers that look like candles but they
cannot be lit. Fire is a symbol of understanding. These
fireless flowers suggest there will be a lack of
understanding on the island.
Frame 26
They also stumble onto a pig. Jack pulls out a knife to
kill the pig but hesitates and the pig runs away. He is still
unable to kill.
Frame 27
They discover that they are on an island. The island
looks like a boat. It also looks as if the island is moving
backwards. This suggests symbolically that the island is
moving backwards in time, as well as everything on the
island. The boys on the island will experience no
progress, only regress. They will be unable to establish
a civilization, the opposite will happen.
Chapter 2 - Fire on
the Mountain
Frame 1
Ralph calls a meeting. He notices that the children
looked different from the morning. Some have been
burnt badly by the sun.
Frame 2
Ralph declared that they are on an uninhabited island.
They did find some pigs and Jack proclaimed that he
and his hunters will hunt it. There were definitely no
grown-ups on the island. The last thing he stated was
that they would have rules. If somebody wanted to talk
he would have to put his hand up, Ralph would give him
the conch and that person can speak. Only the person
with the conch may speak.
Frame 3
Jack jumped up and said they would have lots of rules.
He is even prepared to punish those who break the
rules. Jack just likes the rules at this moment because
that is what they are talking about. He is the first one to
rebel against all rules. He is Emotion and act on
impulse. He does not think about the future or the
consequences of his deeds.
Frame 4
Piggy then takes the conch and reminds them that they
are not letting Ralph get to the most important point.
Note how Piggy is helping Ralph to think and sort things
out logically. Piggy reminds them that nobody knows
where they are and that they are lost. Ralph takes the
conch and continues with what Piggy said. He then
says that they will make another “Treasure Island” or
“Swallows and Amazons” or “Coral Island” out of this
island. It is like a fantasy come true. Ralph states that
they are on a good island, there is enough food and
fresh water. Jack also agrees that they will make the
best of the island.
Frame 5
A little boy takes the conch and wants to know what
they will do about the snake thing on the island. Later he
calls it a beastie. The boy who asks has a mulberry
coloured birthmark on his face. The boy has this mark
so that you can distinguish him from the rest of the little
boys. Ralph and Jack have their first confrontation.
Frame 6
Ralph almost convinces everybody that there isn’t a
beast when Jack jumps in and says that if there were a
beast they would hunt and kill it. All doubt returns.
Frame 7
Ralph then reminds them that they will get rescued. His
father is in the navy and the Queen has a big room with
maps that has all the islands on it. He convinces them
that a ship will come and get them soon. .
Frame 8
Ralph suggests they make a signal fire on the
mountain. As he says the word fire, Jack runs off with all
the boys to make this fire. They leave Piggy and Ralph
behind. Piggy suggests that the children acted just like
kids, which show that he is maturer. It is evident that
Ralph would have liked to plan this fire but the impulsive
Jack just rushed off to make it.
Frame 9
They gather all the wood they can and build a huge pile
on the mountain.
Frame 10
When they finish with the pile Ralph realizes they have
no matches. He asks Jack to light the fire and Jack is
equally embarrassed. They both realize that this is a
sign of bad planning.
Frame 11
At this stage Piggy reaches the top of the mountain. He
comments on the magnificent pile of wood they have
made.
Frame 12
When Jack sees Piggy he realizes he can use Piggy’s
specs. Jack just snatches them of Piggy’s face and
gives them to Ralph.
Frame 13
Ralph lights the fire. “The pile was so rotten, and now so
tinder-dry, that whole limbs yielded passionately to the
yellow flames that poured upwards and shook a great
beard of flame twenty feet in the air. For yards round the
fire the heat was like a blow, and the breeze was a river
of sparks. Trunks crumbled to white dust. Ralph
shouted. “More wood! All of you get more wood!” Life
became a race with the fire and the boys scattered
through the upper forest. To keep a clean flag of flame
flying on the mountain was the immediate end and no
one looked further. Even the smallest boy, unless fruit
claimed them, brought little pieces of wood and threw
them in the air moved a little faster and became a light
wind, so that leeward and windward side were clearly
differentiated. On one side the air was cool, but on the
other the fire thrust out a savage arm of heat that
crinkled hair on the instant. Boys who felt the v\evening
wind on their damp faces paused to enjoy the freshness
of it and then found they were exhausted. They flung
themselves down in the shadows that lay among the
shattered rocks. The beard of flame diminished quickly;
then the pile fell inwards with a soft, cindery sound, and
sent a great tree of sparks upwards that leaned away
and drifted downwind. The boys lay, panting like dogs.”
FROM: GOLDING,
W. 1991,
LORD OF THE FLIES
,
PRESS LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P.54).
Frame 14
Ralph then realized that the fire was a waste. There was
no smoke. Ralph then made a rule that special people
must look after the fire.
Frame 15
Jack offered that he and his hunters would look after the
fire. This is very risky. Jack is the most irresponsible on
the island and now he gets the most responsible job.
The fire will also become the most important thing on
the island: it is their signal for getting rescued, it
provides safety and it cooks their food. Jack is very
enthusiastic about this job. He even proposes to keep a
lookout for ships. Later everything will change. Getting
rescued will be the last thing on his mind.
Frame 16
Piggy takes the conch from Jack and begins to
admonish them for building such a huge and useless
fire. He gets a strange look on his face that draws the
boys’ attention. Piggy informs then that they have got
their fire. The side of the mountain caught fire and was
burning. The boys thought it excellent. Piggy then
begins to make them a list of what they should have
done. They should have built shelters for when night
falls. By burning down the side of the mountain they
have cooked all the fruit in the trees. Half of their fruit is
destroyed. He then realized with a shock that all the
children were not with them. Did they make sure all the
children were safe before they lit the fire. Accusations
fly when the boys realize somebody might have died in
the fire because they did not have all the names or
knew how many of them were on the island.
Frame 17
Piggy realizes for a fact that the little boy who
complained about the beast was not with them. The one
with the mark on his face. He realizes the little boy must
have died in the fire. This realization shocks all the boys
to silence. The boy with the mark on his face was the
first to notice the snake thing. The island destroyed him
and the rumour of the beast is left in the midst of the
children. This chapter also ends with the following
sentence: “Beneath them, on the unfriendly side of the
mountain, the drum-roll continued.” This enhances the
idea that the island is not user friendly.
Chapter 3 - Huts on
the Beach
Frame 1
“Jack was bent double. He was down like a sprinter, his
nose only a few inches from the humid earth. The tree
trunks and the creepers that festooned them lost
themselves in a green dusk thirty feet above him; and
all about was the undergrowth. There was only the
faintest indication of a trail here; a cracked twig and
what might be the impression of one side of a hoof. He
lowered his chin and stared at the traces as though he
would force them to speak to him. Then, dog-like,
uncomfortably on all fours yet unheeding his discomfort,
he stole forward five yards and stopped”
FROM: GOLDING,
W. 1991,
LORD OF THE FLIES
,
Jack is hunting. He almost becomes one with the forest.
His movements are described as being dog-like.
Frame 2
Jack has with him a sharpened stick which he uses as a
spear. He tries to be extremely quiet
Frame 3
Jack’s appearance has already regressed. He is not
dressed in the black cap and cloak anymore. His hair is
long, he has no shirt, his skin is pealing because of the
sun, he has a spear and a knife.
Frame 4
“At length he let out his breath in a long sigh and
opened his eyes. They were bright blue, eyes that in
this frustration seemed bolting and nearly mad”
FROM: GOLDING,
W. 1991,
LORD OF THE FLIES
,
It is very obvious that Jack has changed.
Frame 5
On the beach, Ralph and Simon are busy building
shelters. The rest of the children are not helping. Note
that it is only Ralph (Will of Man) and Simon
(Conscience) working. Will of man because of his
perseverance and Conscience because he will feel
guilty if he does not help.
Frame 6
Jack finds Ralph and Simon and asks for water.
Apparently they made more rules because fresh water
is kept in coconut shells near a tree in the shade. This
prevents everybody from walking to the river every time
they are thirsty.
Frame 7
When Jack returns, Ralph complains how he and
Simon have to do all the work while the others play. He
complains about how everyone enjoys deciding things
at meetings but don’t act on their decisions. Jack
informs Ralph that he and his hunters are working.
Frame 8
Ralph does not count hunting as serious work but Jack
does. Ralph states clearly that he does not count
hunting as work. Jack makes it clear that he hunts
because he likes it. He has a desire to kill a pig. It is the
only thing that is on his mind. He is obsessed with killing
a pig.
Frame 9
Ralph then informs Jack that the children on the island
are frightened. They have to do something like build
shelters before they kill something. The children are
having nightmares.
Frame 10
Simon then reveals his frightening insight which always
makes the others uncomfortable. He mentions that they
are living on an unfriendly island and that the story
about the beast may be real. Simon realises that they
must confront these issues, they must face their fears.
Ralph and Jack are not prepared to do this and they
think Simon’s whole theory is crazy.
Frame 11
Jack then admits that he sometimes feels like the
hunted in the forest. This is where Ralph begins to
realize that they must get rescued. It is clear that the
desire to kill a pig is stronger in Jack than the desire to
be rescued.
Frame 12
Jack and Ralph are both occupied by their most
important thoughts. Here it is clear that they have
different aims. For Jack the most important thing is to
kill a pig and for Ralph it is to keep the fire going and to
get rescued. These two desires opposite one another
directly .
Frame 13
Simon leaves them and wanders off into the forest.
Here we can see clearly that he represents conscience
because he stops along the way to help some of the
littluns get fruit. The littluns are too small to climb trees
and the fruit on the lower branches has already been
plucked. It is clear that the boys have by no means
formed and organized society.
Frame 14
Simon is in the forest at night. He has found a secret
place that he loves to visit. He seems to be unafraid of
the forest as well as the island and the beast. Simon
seems to understand completely what is happening on
the island.
Lord of the Flies - Guide
Chapter 4 - Painted faces and
Long Hair
Frame 1
The boys begin to see strange images on the island. This
reinforces the image that the island is not good.
“Strange things happened at midday. The glittering sea
rose up, moved apart in planes of blatant impossibility;
the coral reef and the few, stunted palms that clung to
the more elevated parts would float up into the sky,
would quiver, be plucked apart, run like rain-drops on a
wire or be repeated as in an odd succession of mirrors.
Sometimes land loomed where there was no land and
flicked out like a bubble as the children watched. Piggy
discounted all this learnedly as a “mirage“; and since no
boy could reach even the reef over the stretch of water
where the snapping sharks waited, they grew
accustomed to these mysteries and ignored them, just
as they ignored the miraculous, throbbing stars. At
midday the illusions merged into the sky and there the
sun gazed down like and angry eye. then at the end of
the afternoon, the mirage subsided and the horizon
became level and blue and clipped as the sun
declined.”
FROM: GOLDING, W. 1991, LORD OF THE FLIES , PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY FAKENHAM PRESS
LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P. 73, 74).
Note that there are sharks beyond the reef which keep
the boys from building any kind of ship to try and leave
the island. The sea breaks very roughly on the reef,
which would make it also very difficult to go beyond the
reef. The sun is described as an “angry eye”. The island is
definitely not friendly.
Frame 2
A littlun called Percival has crawled into a shelter and
he stayed there for two days, singing, talking and crying.
The children on the island were a little amused and
thought he was crazy. Ever since the two days Percival is
piqued, read-eyed, and miserable. He played little and
cried often.
Frame 3
The boys on the island were divided in three groups: the
biguns, middle, and littluns.
“The smaller boys were known by the generic title of
“littluns”. The decrease in size, from Ralph down, was
gradual; and though there was a dubious region
inhabited by Simon and Robert and Maurice,
nevertheless no one had any difficulty in recognizing
biguns at one end and littluns at the other.”
LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P. 74
Frame 4
“The undoubted littluns, those aged about six, lead a
quite distinct, and at the same time intense life of their
own. They ate most of the day, picking fruit where they
could reach it and not particular about ripeness and
quality. They were used no to stomach-aches and a sort
of chronic diarrhoea. The suffered untold terrors in the
dark and huddled together for comfort. Apart from
food and sleep, they found time for play, aimless and
trivial, among the white sand by the bright water. They
cried for their mothers much less often than might have
been expected; they were very brown, and filthily dirty.
They obeyed the summons of the conch, partly
because Ralph blew it, and he was big enough to be a
link with the adult world of authority; and partly because
they enjoyed the entertainment of the assemblies. But
otherwise they seldom bothered with the biguns and
their passionately emotional and corporate life was their
own.”
Frame 5
One of the games the littluns play is to build sand castles
decorated with shells, flowers and intricate stones.
Round the castles there are ways and railway lines.
Three littluns are playing: Henry, Percival, and Johnny.
Henry is the bigger one and he was a bit of a leader.
Percival is not attractive and Johnny is well built. They
are at peace.
Frame 6
Roger and Maurice come out of the forest. They have
just been relieved of fire duty on the mountain. Roger
led the way and walked straight through the castles of
the littluns, kicking the castles over. Maurice followed,
laughed and added to the destruction.
Frame 7
The specific spot the littluns are interested in, was not
damaged so they continue to play. Percival however,
has some sand in his eyes and starts crying because of it.
When Percival stops crying, after the sand has been
washed from his eyes by the tears, Johnny scoops up
more sand and throw it in Percival’s eyes. Percival
begins crying again.
Frame 8
Henry tires of his play and wanders away. Roger follows
Henry.
Frame 9
Henry walks to the water’s edge and began to play with
transparent creatures. He moved them around and likes
to control them. He becomes very absorbed in this
game. Roger watches him very closely from under a
coconut tree. Some of the nuts fall from the tree next to
Roger. Roger looks from the nuts to Henry. Roger picks
up some of the stones next to him and starts to throw it
at Henry. He throws to miss. There is a space around
Henry, about six metres that he does not dare to throw
into. It is what he has been taught at home that
prevents him from hitting Henry. Civilization prevents him
from hitting Henry. Henry is surprised by the plopping
sounds next to him. Henry tries to see who is teasing him,
cannot and wanders off. Roger is the one who later
turns into a killer. He starts to throw Henry with little stones
here, but later on in the book he will make use of a
much bigger rock to kill somebody.
Frame 10
This episode with Roger makes him regress more. Jack
comes to fetch Roger.
“When Roger opened his eyes and saw him, a darker
shadow crept beneath the swarthiness of his skin; but
Jack noticed nothing.”
LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P. 78).
Note that a darker shadow has entered Roger. It
suggests something evil.
Jack has come to fetch Roger because he has
discovered why they can’t kill any pigs. The pigs smell
him. He takes Roger to a pool where Sam and Eric were
waiting. Jack kneels by the pool and starts to paint his
face.
Frame 11
Jack carefully plans how to paint his face. He makes the
one eye-socket white, and rubs red over the other half
of his face and slashes a bar of charcoal across from
right ear to left jaw. He looks at his reflection in a
coconut shell with water.
“He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at
an awesome stranger. Beside the mere, his sinewy body
held up a mask that drew their eyes and appalled
them.”
Jack has regressed. This painted face becomes a mask
behind which he hides.
Frame 12
“He began to dance and his laughter became a
bloodthirsty snarling. He capered towards Bill, and the
mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid,
liberated from shame and self-consciousness. The face
of red and white and black, swung through the air and
jigged towards Bill. Bill started laughing; then suddenly
he fell silent and blundered away through the bushed.
Jack rushed towards the twins.”
Frame 13
Jack orders the hunters to make a line. They enter the
forest. The boys feels forced by the mask to obey. It is
obvious that this mask gives Jack a strange new
authority. It also causes fear in the boys.
Frame 14
In the meantime on the beach, Simon is floating in the
water. Maurice is practicing his diving. Ralph is sitting
under a tree. Piggy approaches Ralph and talks about
how nice it will be if they make a sundial with sticks then
they can know the time. Piggy is by now an outsider
because of his fat, asthma, specs and the fact that he
does not do any manual labour. Ralph moves away
from Piggy to the other side of the pool. Piggy follows
Ralph there.
Frame 15
Ralph is gazing at the horizon while Piggy is talking
about a sundial. Suddenly Ralph sees smoke on the
horizon and he jumps up shouting “smoke“. There is a
ship on the horizon. Ralph is sure that they will see their
signal on the mountain.
Frame 16
Piggy cleans his glasses and looks at the mountain for a
signal. He cannot see a signal. Ralph ignores Piggy the
first time when he asks if there is a signal on the
mountain.
Frame 17
The urgency in Piggy’s voice, the second time, makes
Ralph look at the mountain to see if there is a signal.
There is no signal.
Frame 18
Ralph begin to charge up the mountain. The creeper
things hold him back at first. Maurice and Simon are
behind him. Piggy is not behind them. Ralph realises
they will need Piggy’s specs if the fire is out.
Frame 19
Halfway up the mountain Ralph has to decide if he will
run up and try to make smoke from the dying embers or
if he should go back for Piggy’s specs so that he can
start a fire again.
Frame 20
On the top they see that the fire is dead. The watchers
are gone.
Frame 21
“Ralph turned to the sea. The horizon stretched,
impersonal once more, barren of all but the faintest
trace of smoke. Ralph ran stumbling along the rocks,
saved himself on the edge of the pink cliff, and
screamed at the ship.
“Come back! Come back!”
He ran backwards and forwards along the cliff, his face
always to the sea, and his voice rose insanely.
“Come back! Come back!”
Simon and Maurice arrived. Ralph looked at them with
unwinking eyes. Simon turned away, smearing the water
from his cheeks. Ralph reached inside him for the worst
word he knew.
“They let the bloody fire out.”
The worst word Ralph could think of was “bloody”. This
shows the goodness of his character.
Frame 22
Ralph then sees the hunters coming up the mountain.
He is very angry.
“A procession had appeared, far down among the pink
screes that lay near the water’s edge. Some of the boys
wore black caps but otherwise they were almost naked.
They lifted sticks in the air together, whenever they
came to an easy patch. They were chanting, something
to do with the bundle that the errant twins carries so
carefully. Ralph picked out Jack easily, even at that
distance, tall, red-haired, and inevitably leading the
procession.
Simon looked now, from Ralph to Jack, as he
had looked from Ralph to the horizon, and what he saw
seemed to make him afraid. Ralph said nothing more,
but waited while the procession came nearer. The
chant was audible but at that distance still wordless.
Behind Jack walked the twins, carrying a great stake on
their shoulders. The gutted carcass of a pig swung from
the stake, swinging heavily as the twins toiled over the
uneven ground. The pig’s head hung down with gaping
neck and seemed to search for something on the
ground. At last the words of the chant floated up to
them, across the bowl of blackened wood and ashes.
“Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.”
LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P.85, 86).
The choir has regressed. They exchanged their black
cloaks with silver crosses, for nakedness and spears.
Instead of singing church songs they are chanting
about blood and death. They are turning into savages,
uncivilized beings. Singing about a kill means that you
have enjoyed it. There is a difference between killing for
pleasure and killing out of necessity.
Frame 23
When the hunters reach the top of the mountain, Jack
tells Ralph excitedly how they killed the pig. The only
thing Ralph says is that they let the fire out. At first it
makes no impression on Jack, but when Ralph says it a
second time, he gets Jack’s attention. Jack then replies
uneasily that they can light the fire again.
Frame 24
Jack is surprised that the four on the mountain seem so
sombre. Ralph tells him about the ship.
Frame 25
Piggy jumps into the argument. Piggy and Ralph
accuses Jack of being irresponsible and of neglecting
his duties. Jack tries to defend his actions by saying the
job of hunting was too much. He needed all the hunters.
This shows that hunting has become more important to
Jack than keeping the fire going.
Frame 26
Piggy then again confronts Jack with reason. Even if the
job was too big, he should not have let the fire out. The
attack on Jack is too much and he takes it out on Piggy.
He punches Piggy in the stomach and then slaps him in
the face. Piggy’s specs fly from his face.
Frame 27
The specs land on the rocks an one glass breaks. This is
not good because without the specs Piggy cannot see
and if Reason is blinded, there will be no more logic on
the island. Piggy now has only one eye left. This also
means they only have one lens left with which to light
the fire. If the glasses break they won’t be able to keep
a fire going.
Frame 28
Ralph tells Jack what he did was wrong. Jack
apologizes. He does not apologize for hitting Piggy, he
apologizes for letting the fire go out. This makes Jack
popular among the hunters because he is a person who
is able to apologize. It is actually a very false apology.
Frame 29
Ralph orders Jack to light the fire again. Ralph stands in
the ashes of the old fire. He forces Jack to begin a fire in
a new spot. This action of Ralph shows clearly who is the
chief. Jack has to obey Ralph. Ralph then takes Piggy’s
specs from him to light the fire. This shows that Ralph is
the only one who can light the fire. Piggy will never give
his specs willingly to Jack again. If Jack needs fire, he
would have to ask for it from Ralph. This incident caused
the link between Ralph and Jack to be broken. Jack
despises Ralph for being chief and Ralph despises Jack
for letting the fire go out. Trust has been broken. They
are two people with different goals.
Frame 30
They roast pieces of meat on stick over the fire.
Frame 31
When Jack hands out the meat he gives none to Piggy.
When Piggy questions him Jack informs him that he did
not hunt that is why he does not get meat. Simon then
gives some of his meat to Piggy because Piggy points
out that neither Ralph or Simon hunted and they have
meat. Simon makes Jack feel guilty here and Jack
throws another piece of meat to Simon.
Frame 32
The hunters begin to tell how they hunted the pig. They
all begin to enact the killing of the pig. Maurice
pretends to be the pig. When they start with their chant,
Ralph silences them and says he is going to call a
meeting. Part of him wants to be part of the hunters but
another part despises them for the way they behave.
He has to be the responsible one while it seems
everybody else is just doing what they please.
Lord of the Flies Teacher’s Guide
Chapter 5 - Beast
from Water
Frame 1
Ralph chooses a narrow strip of beach to walk and think
on. He does not want to watch his feet while he
structures his speech. He realizes that this has to be a
very important meeting. While thinking Ralph also
becomes aware of how dirty he was. He becomes
aware of decay around him. He dislikes dirt.
Frame 2
The place he is having the assembly is in the shape of a
triangle. Ralph realizes as he approaches the seat of
the chief that he cannot think like Piggy.
“Piggy could think. He could go step by step inside that
fat head of his, only Piggy was no chief. But Piggy, for
all his ludicrous body, had brains. Ralph was a
specialist in thought now, and could recognize thought
in another.”
FROM: GOLDING,
W. 1991,
LORD OF THE FLIES
,
The hunters sit on Ralph’s right. If you are right from a
government it means you do not agree with that
government. You are the opposition. The rest of the
boys are on the left. If you are on the left side of a
government, it means you agree with that government.
Piggy stands outside the triangle. Piggy wants to show
his disapproval and that he only wants to listen and not
speak.
Frame 3
Ralph states why they are having the meeting. “Falling
off the log” refers to a springy log that throws boys off it
when somebody moves in the wrong direction. Ralph
does not want the boys to do that in this meeting. What
Ralph wants to correct in this meeting is the order on
the island. They do not act in a united manner
anymore.
Frame 4
He continues to tell them about the assemblies.
Frame 5
They were going to bring water from the stream and
leave them in coconut shells for people to drink. Now
there is no water. The rule only lasted for a few days
and now there is no fresh water in the shells anymore.
Frame 6
They all would have helped to build proper shelters.
Ralph and Simon had to build most of the shelters but
everybody sleeps in them. The last shelter is very
tottery and they need it for when a storm comes. There
is sense in what Ralph says, the boys must just realize
it.
Frame 7
He explains the rule they made about which place they
should use for a lavatory.
Frame 8
When he refers to the littluns who uses everywhere for
a toilet the boys laugh. It is not a funny matter, it is dirty.
Frame 9
Ralph has to tell them very loudly that what the littluns
do is dirty. It is as if the boys have no concept of what
dirt is anymore.
Frame 10
He moves on to explain to them that the fire is the most
important thing on the island.
Frame 11
Ralph makes sense when he talks about the fire. The
fire is more important than their lives because without it
they will die.
Frame 12
When he mentions that they ought to die before they let
the fire out the hunters laugh. The fire is not important to
the hunters. Not that important. This shows the
regression of the hunters.
Frame 13
Ralph then attacks the hunters. He tells them plainly
that the smoke is more important than hunting. This
gives Jack an idea of where his priorities should be.
Frame 14
When he moves on to the next issue the boys become
restless and say he is talking about too many things.
Ralph is very serious about this meeting. The boys must
understand the issue of the fire and the hunting.
Frame 15
Ralph forces his will on the boys. He makes another
rule about the fire. The fire may only be used on the
mountain. This upsets many of the hunters but Ralph is
adamant. This way he will ensure that there is always
somebody watching the fire.
Frame 16
Ralph then orders the boys to do what he says because
he is chief. This is the only thing that forces the boys to
listen to Ralph, the fact that he is chief. If they lose
respect for his authority they will have nothing left. If
they do not accept him as chief anymore, they would
have had it. We can already see there are groups that
agree with his chieftainship and groups that do not
agree.
Frame 17
Ralph touches the last issue. This issue would be open
for discussion. He hopes to mend things on the island
with this discussion. He wants to discuss the issue of
fear.
Frame 18
Jack takes the conch and shares his feelings of fear
with the assembly. He accuses the littluns of beginning
with fear. His theory on fear is that one must live with it.
It would be better however if you confront your fears
and try to solve it. Living with fear does not mean that
you have conquered it.
Frame 19
Jack goes on accusing the littluns of beginning the story
of the beast. He then calls the beast an animal. The
beast has changed from a snake-thing to an animal.
Something that is supposed to be visible.
Frame 20
Jack, contrary to what we expect, convinces everybody
that there is no animal on the island. He has been
everywhere. The boys cheer him for this. It is obvious at
this moment that there is nothing to be afraid of, the
littluns are only having nightmares.
Frame 21
Piggy decides to speak. He does not agree with Jack
that you have to live with fear. He reasons there must
be a reason why you experience fear. He says if they
are not afraid of an animal then they must be afraid of
people. They know it is only them on the island so
somebody on the island must be causing the fear. We
have already seen how Jack frightened some of the
hunters with his mask. Jack has assaulted Piggy so
Piggy has reason to be afraid of Jack. Piggy continues
to interview littluns to find out what has caused their
fear. He hopes to prove scientifically that there is no
reason to be afraid.
Frame 22
He talks to a littlun called Phil. Phil had a dream that he
was fighting with the creeper things. It frightened him.
When he woke up he was outside the shelter and the
twisty things had disappeared.
Frame 23
Phil acknowledged he was frightened and that he
started to call out to Ralph. He then saw something
horrid move among the trees. He tells them clearly
when he saw the twisty things it was a nightmare but he
was wide awake when he saw the thing moving in the
dark. Ralph then takes the conch and asks if anybody
was outside the previous night.
Frame 24
Simon confesses that he was outside and that Phil must
have seen him. The first monster is therefore set to rest.
It was Simon and no beast.
Frame 25
Piggy now interviews Percival. (Remember that
Percival is emotionally unstable). He is the littlun who
sat in a shelter for two days crying, singing and talking
to himself. Percival tries to introduce himself the way his
parents taught him to. He has forgotten his telephone
number and begins to cry. This also indicates that
things are regressing on the island. Littluns are
beginning to forget their lives in civilization. The louder
Percival cries the more the boys try to shut him up. All
the littluns begin to cry.
Frame 26
Maurice saves them all by pretending to fall. The littluns
laugh and stop crying.
Frame 27
Jack approaches the snivelling Percival and takes him
hard by the shoulders. He brings his painted face close
to Percival and asks him where the beast lives. Percival
is the son of a Vicar. He must have heard sermons
about Revelations where the Beast comes from the
water. Jack looks so insistent that Percival thinks he
must give an answer. He gives the only answer he
knows: “In the sea”.
Frame 28
This silences the whole assembly. They stare at the
sea. They know there are no animal on the island, but
the sea is so big. Percival has opened up new
possibilities with this answer. There is something new to
be afraid of.
Frame 29
The boys discuss the possibility of a beast coming from
the water. Maurice begins to doubt Jack’s certainty that
there is no huge animal on the island. He asks the
question if they know for sure.
Frame 30
Simon takes the conch and says what nobody wants to
hear. He says there is a beast. The boys attack him
verbally, and implore him to sit down.
Frame 31
Simon has great insight into the unknown. He has
discovered the truth but he is unable to convey it to the
group. He says there is a beast but it is them. Piggy is
immediately against him because it does not make
sense. The only way it could make sense is if it is a
ghost. That is what one of the boys suggest. Simon is
right. The beast is one of the boys. The beast is the boy
who cannot hold on to civilization. A beast is uncivilized.
Those who break the rules of society and civilization are
beasts.
Frame 32
Piggy has the conch and is very upset about the
statement about ghosts. He does not believe in ghosts
because he symbolizes Reason. The existence of
ghosts does not make sense.
Frame 33
Ralph realizes the mistake they made. They are now
talking fear into each other and it is already turning dark.
He decides they will vote on the issue of ghosts. It is
obvious that if they all are going to vote there are ghosts
that they will acknowledge the existence of ghosts. He
asks who believes in ghosts.
Frame 34
Ralph sees all the hands voting for ghosts. He realises
they have lost it. Things don’t make sense anymore.
The reasonable world is slipping away from them and
they have lost their chance to be rescued.
Frame 35
Piggy realizes the danger of this vote and snatches the
conch from Ralph. He makes it very clear that he did not
vote for ghosts. He is Reason. The boys should listen t
him but they don’t because of his appearance. Jack
jumps up and silences Piggy in a rude way.
Frame 36
Ralph tries to protect Piggy. He admonishes Jack for
breaking the rules. Jack is the one who said in the
beginning they would have lots of rules and punish
those who break the,. He is the one breaking the rules.
First he let the fire out, now he speaks while somebody
else has the conch. Without the rules the boys have
nothing on the island. Jack also suddenly turns on
Ralph. He attacks Ralph’s authority. Suddenly the
discussion on fear turns into an issue of leadership.
Frame 37
Ralph reminds Jack that he was chosen as chief. Jack
does not accept it. As Emotion he still feels that he
should have been chief. All these reasonable and
sensible discussions mean nothing to him. Why should
a conch inhibit him when he wants to say something. He
will talk when he feels like it. Ralph reminds him of the
authority of the conch.
Frame 38
Jack becomes completely insensible and accuses
Ralph of favouritism.
Frame 39
Ralph reminds Jack adamantly that he is breaking the
rules.
Frame 40
Jack makes a frightening statement. “Who cares?” If
you don’t care about the rules what will prevent you
from doing anything?
Frame 41
Ralph reminds Jack that the only thing they have that
keeps them in line is the rules.
Frame 42
Jack loses control completely. He defies all rules. He
sends out the message that he cannot be ruled. He will
not listen to authority. Civilization is kept in tact by laws
and rules. A government without laws and rules has no
authority. Laws prevent burglary, murder, adultery etc.
The assembly runs off with Jack. They perform a mock
hunt in the dark and sounds of real terror can be heard
coming from them.
Frame 43
Piggy wants Ralph to assert his authority and call them
back.
Frame 44
Ralph is confronted by a dilemma. If he blows the conch
and they do not come back, he is not chief. He is too
afraid to take a chance and perhaps lose their chance at
being rescued.
Frame 45
Ralph wants confirmation from Piggy that there are no
ghosts. Even he is in doubt. Piggy tells them there are
no ghosts. It would not make sense.
Frame 46
They can hear the chanting of the hunters in the dark.
Frame 47
Ralph suggests he should stop being chief. Nobody
listens anyway.
Frame 48
Piggy realizes Jack is dangerous. He realizes Jack will
not think about the fire. He will only hunt. Jack hates
Piggy because Piggy represents that which is
reasonable, logic and sensible. Piggy also knows that
Jack hates Ralph. He hates Ralph because Ralph won’t
forget about civilization and about acting responsibly.
He hates the Will of Man to do what is right. Jack wants
to be free and irresponsible, live from moment to
moment.
Frame 49
Simon walks up behind them and confirms everything
Piggy has said. Ralph must stay being chief. He
realizes there is a very big difference between Ralph
and Jack. The two are irreconcilable. They only hear
how Percival cries. Percival is unaware of the havoc he
caused. Ralph expresses a wish for the grown-ups to
send them a message.
Chapter 6 - Beast
from Air
Frame 1
Ralph and Simon picked Percival up and carried him to
a shelter. They all went to sleep, amidst the noises of
boys having nightmares.
Frame 2
Other lights were in the sky. Two planes attacked each
other ten miles from the island. The boys were unaware
of this.
“But a sign came down from the world of grown-ups,
though at the time there was no child awake to read it.
there was a sudden bright explosion and a corkscrew
trail across the sky; then darkness again and stars.
There was a speck above the island, a figure dropping
swiftly beneath a parachute, a figure that hung with
dangling limbs. The changing of various altitudes took
the figure where they would. Then, three miles up, the
wind steadied and bore it in a descending curve round
the sky and swept it in a great slant across the reef and
the lagoon towards the mountain.”
FROM: GOLDING,
W. 1991,
LORD OF THE FLIES
,
Frame 3
The figure landed on the mountain and was dragged to
the top. It got stuck between rocks. The parachute
billowed out behind the body. The head and shoulders
lay between the legs of the body.
Frame 4
When a slight breeze blew, the parachute would fill out
and lift the body. The body sat up straight. The body did
this continuously. When the breeze dropped, the figure
dropped. The figure sank and bowed, sank and bowed.
The parachute made a strange plop, plop sound.
Frame 5
Sam and Eric were on duty at the fire. It was almost
dawn. They did everything together. The one could not
sleep while the other stayed awake. They completed
each others’ sentences. They relit the fire and heard the
strange plop-plop sound.
Frame 6
They listened intently at the sound fifteen yards away
from them. They became so frightened that they ran
down the mountain with the idea of beast foremost in
their minds. They saw nothing, they only heard a
strange sound and thought frightful thoughts.
Frame 7
The twins wake Ralph up and tell him they have seen
the beast. They lie quietly in the shelter, because they
think they hear the beast outside. They wait for daylight.
Frame 8
With enough daylight they creep from shelter to shelter
to announce there will be a meeting.
Frame 9
At the meeting Ralph does not blow the conch, he just
holds it in the air. He is afraid the beast will hear. The
fear unites the assembly into a circle.
Frame 10
The twins take the conch and tell how they saw the
beast.
Frame 11
They were definitely not asleep.
Frame 12
The beast had furry wings.
Frame 13
They saw the eyes.
Frame 14
The beast had teeth.
Frame 15
The beast had claws.
Frame 16
They describe how they ran down the mountain. The
beast followed them,
Frame 17
They saw the beast hiding behind trees.
Frame 18
With their mad rush down the mountain Eric’s face was
cut by some brushes.
Frame 19
His face is bleeding. The group assumes immediately it
was the claws of the beast.
Frame 20
Johnny begins to cry. .
Frame 21
Bill slapps him until he chokes on his tears
Frame 22
The circle of boys change. They face the outside,
watching, waiting….
Frame 23
Jack calls them back to the center.
Jack announces he is going to hunt the beast and wants
to know who will join him.
Frame 24
Ralph reminds him that the spears are made of wood.
How can boys kill a beast? Jack accuses Ralph of being
frightened. This is not the issue. Ralph is being realistic
and reasonable. Jack is impulsive.
Frame 25
Ralph admits that he is afraid. Who in his real mind
would not be affraid. Now Ralph begins to think of the
possibility that the twins may have made a mistake.
Frame 26
Piggy believes the twins. He wants to restrict their
movements to the platform and the beach.
Frame 27
Ralph does not want to be restricted. There is the fire to
be concerned about. With the beast up there they
cannot light it.
Frame 28
Impulsive Jack wants to move out. He thinks of nothing
but what he wants to do.
Frame 29
He finds it tedious that Ralph should be concerned
about the littluns. Why should they bother now. Ralph
orders Piggy to look after the littluns.
Frame 30
Jack thinks Ralph is trying to protect Piggy. Ralph is just
being sensible. How effective will Piggy be with one
eye, asthma and being slow?
Frame 31
Ralph begins to think about the situation. He realises
they cannot run blindly into this hunt, the way Jack
wants to.
Frame 32
Piggy is concerned about his safety. What if the beast
visits them while they are away. Jack silences him. He
does not want to discuss this. He does not have the
conch and is breaking the rules again.
Frame 33
Jack attacks the authority of the conch. He belives there
are only certain people who need to say something.
Jack’s leadership style is dictatorial.
Frame 34
Ralph gets tough with Jack. He orders him to sit and be
quiet. Jack interjects meekly .
Frame 35
Ralph spells the situation out to Jack. He points out the
most important thing that Jack has missed, getting
rescued from the island.
Frame 36
Ralph addresses the whole group and takes a quick
pole of who still wants to be rescued. Jack may rebel
against one but not against a whole group.
Frame 37
All the boys still want to be rescued.
Frame 38
Ralph must force Jack to think where the beast can be.
Jack is not used to thinking about things, he just does
them.
Frame 39
Jack realizes there is one part of the island he has not
been yet. Everybody begins to discuss the possibility
that the beast may be there.
Frame 40
Ralph silences them. He makes decisions about what
they will do.
Frame 41
Jack tries to take command by ordering the group to go.
Ralph prevents him by saying they will eat first and then
go.
Frame 42
To keep Jack happy, Ralph tells Jack he may lead them
to the tail end part of the island. He is glad he does not
have to lead because all this responsibility is getting to
him. While they are walking Simon is also thinking
about the beast. He cannot understand how a beast
with wings can be outrun by two little boys. He doubts
the existence of the beast. He also does not understand
how the beast can leave no tracks. Unfortunately he is
not able to convey what he is thinking to the group.
Frame 43
When they reach the tail end part, Jack gives over to
Ralph.
Frame 44
Ralph sees a narrow ledge, almost like a path which
gives entrance to the “castle”. At the top are huge
boulders. To the left is the sea, and to the right a cliff.
The only entrance was along the narrow ledge. The
reason the rocks have a pink colour is to create an
image of flesh. The author suggests the island is evil.
With the pink rocks, the island gets flesh and becomes
something that is alive.
Frame 45
The issue arises of who will go to investigate. Jack is a
hunter, the obvious choice. The brave Jack, however, is
afraid, Ralph realised this and takes the responsibility
on him. He is chief, he will go to explore.
Frame 46
He orders the rest to wait for him. Jack assures him that
the beast has to be there. Before Ralph ascends the
cliff, Simon tries to tell him that he does not believe in
the beast.
Frame 47
Before Ralph ascends he says goodbye to his friends.
Frame 48
Halfway up, Ralph notices that the sea looks like a
creature. If the sea looks like a creature it is not
far-fetched to believe the island is alive.
Frame 49
At the top Ralph hears something behind him. It is Jack
who has followed him.
Frame 50
Jack and Ralph inspect a half cave. To Ralph it is a filthy
place. Jack is excited about the place. To him it is an
excellent place for a fort. Ralph sees no fresh water
there. It is not practical.
Frame 51
Jack sees a trickle of water in the cave that can be
used as a source of water. Ralph still thinks it is a rotten
place.
Frame 52
They climb to the top. At the top is a single boulder,
balanced peculiarly.
Frame 53
Jack tries to remind Ralph of the first day they went
exploring the island and they rolled a boulder down a
slope. Ralph only remembers that a lot of bad things
have happened since then. The relationship between
him and Jack is not what it was on the first day they met.
Jack announces that the boulder can be used as a
weapon to keep the enemy out. What enemy is Jack
talking about? They are the only humans on the island
and they have not established that the beast is real.
Frame 54
Jack notices that Ralph is not listening to him. His mind
is somewhere else. He wants to know what Ralph is
thinking about. When he hears that Ralph is concerned
about the fire he is disappointed. He believes Ralph is
obsessive about the fire.
Frame 55
Ralph tries to explain one more time that the signal is
very important. It does not seem to convince Jack. He
also decides they must go up the mountain and see if
the beast is there.
Frame 56
Jack is convinced the beast will not be there but there is
nothing else for them to do.
Frame 57
The rest of the boys ascend the castle when they see
Ralph and Jack unharmed at the top. They explore the
castle and forget about the beast.
Frame 58
When Ralph calls Jack to move on, Jack is not there.
He has joined the rest of the boys exploring the castle.
Frame 59
Ralph momentarily struggles to gather his thoughts. He
watches as the boys roll a boulder down the cliff. He
remembers the importance of the smoke and orders the
boys to stop their games. They must continue.
Frame 60
Roger refuses. He argues they have plenty of time. It is
obvious the boys have forgotten the purpose of the
expedition.
Frame 61
The rest of the boys join in and refuse to leave. They
want to play and have fun.
Frame 62
Ralph uses the only tactic he has to make the boys
follow him. He tells Jack he can lead again.
Frame 63
Bill comes up to Ralph and wants to stay. Ralph tells
them there is no fruit. The boys want to make a fort.
Frame 64
The boys get all excited about making a fort. Ralph tries
again.
Frame 65
The boys do not want to leave.
Frame 66
Ralph hits his fist on a rock. He does not feel the pain.
He orders the boys to follow him. They follow him
mutinously.
Lord of the Flies - Teacher’s
Guide
Chapter 7 - Shadows and tall
trees
Frame 1
They are walking along a pig run close to the sea. Ralph
was content to follow Jack. He passes a message to the
front that they must stop at the next fruit to eat.
Frame 2
While sitting Ralph becomes aware of several things.. His
shirt is very dirty. He contemplates washing it.. He wishes
he has a pair of scissors with which to cut his hair. He
would like to take a bath, use proper soap. He wants a
toothbrush. His nails are bitten to the quick. He cannot
remember when he started biting his nails again. His
thoughts are that he will start sucking his thumb next. This
is a sign that things are regressing.
Frame 3
Ralph walks down to the sea. He realizes the infinite size
of the sea and wonders how they ever will get rescued.
They must be on a very small island in such a vast
ocean. He can feel feelings of helplessness and
condemnation rise in him.
Frame 4
Simon is suddenly next to Ralph, As if he can read
Ralph’s thoughts he tells Ralph that Ralph will make it
back home. Note that he says Ralph will make it, he says
nothing about himself.
Frame 5
When Ralph wants to know how Simon knows he will
make it, Simon says he just knows. Simon knows things.
He knows about the beast. He has insight.
Frame 6
Suddenly they hear Roger’s urgent call that they must
come and look at something.
Frame 7
They have discovered some fresh droppings. Jack is on
his hands and knees smelling the droppings as if he loves
it. Immediately he wants to hunt this pig. Ralph agrees,
only if they are going in the right direction.
Frame 8
They set off more slowly than Ralph expected. He
actually enjoys it, because with Jack in charge he
begins to daydream. He thinks of the cottage in
Devonport where they lived on the edge of the moors.
He remembers the wild ponies that came to the stone
wall at the bottom of the garden. He remembers a shed
behind the house. You could lie up there and watch the
snow. He remembers the bowl of cornflakes when he
went to bed. There were books. Everything he
remembers is alright, good humoured and friendly.
Frame 9
Suddenly the bushes ahead of him crack. Ralph sees
how something nudges Jack aside. A creature comes
running towards him with gleaming tusks. Ralph
measures the distance coldly and aims. He flings the
foolish wooden spear at the boar. The spear hangs
there for a moment, then drops. The grunt of the boar
turns into a squeal. The pig changes direction and goes
into the covert.
Frame 10
Jack comes back and wants to follow the pig. The
hunters are afraid.
Frame 11
It dawns on Ralph that his spear has hit a pig. He is very
excited. He is full of fright, apprehension and pride.
Frame 12
Ralph wants to know if anybody else has witnessed his
accomplishment.
Frame 13
Maurice has seen Ralph’s accomplishment.
Frame 14
Ralph feels very proud. He likes the new respect that is
bestowed on him. He begins to think that hunting is not
so bad. Ralph gets a taste of Jack’s life and he likes it.
He makes a crazy statement that it may have been the
beast.
Frame 15
Suddenly Jack becomes the sensible one. He is certain
that it is not the beast.
Frame 16
Jack tries to belittle what Ralph has accomplished. He
wants to know why Ralph did not grab the pig. Ralph is
astounded. How can one grab a boar.
Frame 17
Jack shows he is much braver than Ralph. He shows
where the boars tusks have scratched his arm.
Frame 18
Jack shows them the blood on his arm.
Frame 19
Simon acknowledge that Jack has a proper wound. He
suggests Jack sucks it like Berengaria. Berengaria was
the wife of Richard I of England. It was Eleanor of Castile
however, who legendarily is supposed to have saved
her husband’s life by sucking a wound made by a
poisoned arrow. Simon’s memory comes from an
illustration in Arthur Mee’s Children’s Encyclopaedia
showing Berengaria as the life-saver. Jack sucks the
wound.
Frame 20
Ralph is still ecstatic about his accomplishment. Robert
gets down on his hands and knees and pretends to be
the pig.
Frame 21
The boys make a ring around him. They prod Robert with
their spears.
Frame 22
They grabbed Robert’s arms and legs. They scream “kill
him“. Ralph gets carried away and jabs at Robert with
Eric’s spear.
Frame 23
Jack grabs Robert by the hair and lifts his knife in the air.
The circle was chanting the chant. Jack pretends to kill
the pig. The circle cheers. Robert is snivelling.
Frame 24
Ralph is uneasy about the game. It was pretty rough.
Someone suggests they should get a drum and maybe
use a littlun as a pig. They feel the game must end in a
real death. The dance is taking on the characteristics of
a savage affair. Ralph feels that this game of hunting
was more rough than a game of rugby.
Frame 25
Ralph realizes they have wasted some time and they
must go on.
Frame 26
Suddenly the hunters become hesitant. They are
concerned about Piggy. They want to put off the climb
to the mountain.
Frame 27
Ralph is determined. They have to go up there to restart
the fire. The fire cannot be out for that long. Waiting can
make a big difference.
Frame 28
Jack is suddenly the sensible one. How can they restart
the fire without Piggy’s specs? Ralph is determined to
take the hunters all the way, to make sure the beast is
there. He is the leader. He will not give in to them.
Frame 29
Jack is determined that if they find the beast, they will kill
it.
Frame 30
They keep along the shore.
Frame 31
They have to navigate a path along dangerous rocks.
They all find it very difficult to progress. Finally Ralph
climbs a tree to see where they are. They walk slowly
until they reach a cliff. The piece of beach is unknown to
them.
Frame 32
Early evening they rest at the foot of a cliff.
Frame 33
Ralph is not embarrassed to think in front of the group.
He decides somebody must be dispatched to Piggy to
inform him they will be late.
Frame 34
Nobody is brave enough to go to Piggy when Ralph
looks for a volunteer. Simon finally agrees to go. Simon is
not afraid of the night or the beast. He knows there is no
beast. It is actually a mistake that Simon leaves now,
because he would have the courage to look for the
beast on the mountain when it is dark. When Simon
leaves Ralph recognizes for the first time the anger in
Jack.
Frame 35
Ralph begins to figure out how they can reach the
mountain top quickly. He explores Jack’s mind.
Frame 36
Ralph explores Jack’s mind.
Frame 37
Ralph explores Jack’s mind.
Frame 38
Ralph uses the information he receives from Jack to
form a conclusion. There is a pig run nearby that they
may be able to use.
Frame 39
Ralph just confirms whether the pig run goes where he
wants it to go.
Frame 40
Ralph now begins to realize that it has taken them so
long to cross the rocks, they have almost run out of light.
It would be the sensible thing to turn back.
Frame 41
Jacks sees this as an opportunity to challenge Ralph. He
thinks Ralph is afraid to go to the mountain. Ralph is just
being sensible. When Jack challenges him Ralph ignores
the challenge and asks a question that stuns Jack. He
asks outright why Jack hates him. Jack hates Ralph,
because Ralph is chief and because Ralph is sensible.
He hates the way Ralph gives out orders. By asking Jack
why he hates him, Ralph has brought the hatred into the
light. The boys view the hate as something indecent, but
it is there and they can ot ignore it.
Frame 42
After an uncomfortable silence from Jack, Ralph gives
the order for them to move on.
Frame 43
This time Ralph leads. Jack brings up the end. Jack feels
displaced and is brooding.
Frame 44
When they reach a spot close to the mountain top,
Ralph makes a quality decision. They will go to the
platform and climb the mountain the next day. It is the
right thing to do. They can not do anything in the
semi-darkness. Jack accuses Ralph of being frightened.
Ralph points out that he already proved his bravery that
day when he went first at castle rock. Jack says it does
not count since it happened in daylight. Ralph decides
to prove to Jack that he is not the only one who does
not feel like climbing the mountain in the darkness.
Frame 45
All the other hunters seem to have an excuse not to
climb the mountain. That should indicate to Jack that
he is behaving wrongly.
Frame 46
Jack ignores it. He states that he is going up the
mountain anyway. If Ralph allows him to go up there
alone, then it will prove that Jack is braver than him, no
matter how insensible the action is.
Frame 47
Jack challenges Ralph by daring him to come. Ralph is
surprised at how calm his voice is when he accepts the
challenge.
Frame 48
Ralph realizes it is silly if only the two of them go up. What
is actually happening here is that they need a witness
who will testify later what happened between the two
of them on the mountain. Ralph and Jack cannot go
anywhere alone. They are not compatible. Roger
agrees to go with them.
Frame 49
They reach the edge of the burnt patch. There are two
reasons why this is a very silly expedition. First they
cannot see anything because it is dark. Secondly a
slight breeze is blowing some ashes into their eyes, so
they are seeing even less.
Frame 50
Ralph tells them outright what he thinks about the
expedition. Ralph decides he is not going to be a fool
anymore. If Jack wants to act crazily let him do it on his
own. He decides to stop there and let Jack go on. This
has nothing to do with courage.
Frame 51
Jack returns with the news that he heard something at
the top. He also says he saw something bulge on the
mountain. Ralph shows his true character. A coward
would have left. Ralph decides he will go and have a
look.
Frame 52
Jack is caught by surprise. He did not expect that Ralph
would want to go and face this thing.
Frame 53
They creep forward, towards the thing.
Frame 54
They see a hump.
Frame 55
Ralph wants to see better. He uses all his willpower and
stands up. He walks towards the thing.
Frame 56
When he is close to the thing, a breeze comes up and
the dead parachutist sits up in front of him.
Frame 57
“Ralph found himself taking giant strides among the
ashes, heard other creatures crying out and leaping
and dared the impossible on the dark slope; presently
the mountain was deserted, save for the three
abandoned sticks and the thing that bowed.”
Chapter 8 - Gift for the Darkness
Frame 1
Ralph tells Piggy they have seen the beast. Piggy
cannot believe it. He asks them over and over again if
they are sure.
Frame 2
Jack tells Piggy to go up the mountain and see the
beast for himself. Ralph faces a crisis in his leadership.
With the beast on the island he has to tell everyone
what they are going to do now, but he does not know
what to do.
Frame 3
Ralph doesn’t think they will be able to kill the beast.
Jack believes he and his hunters can do it.
Frame 4
It isn’t just a coincidence that this thing is sitting next to
the fire. Maybe the “island” is trying to prevent them
from getting rescued. Without the fire, they have
nothing. Ralph sees the reality of the situation. Jack is
living in a fantasy world. He wants to hunt the beast.
Ralph brings him back to reality by telling him what his
hunters really are. Boys armed with sticks.
Frame 5
When Jack hears this, he marches away. Piggy can see
that Ralph has hurt Jack’s feelings. Ralph is not
concerned about Jack, they are having a crisis and
nobody seems to be aware of it.
Frame 6
Jack breaks all rules. He blows the conch. The fact that
he blows the conch shows that he thinks he can be
chief. He is fed up with Ralph being in charge.
Frame 7
Ralph is frustrated, talk will not mend their
predicament.
Frame 8
When he reaches the platform he wants to take the
conch from Jack and begin the meeting, because he is
the chief. Jack tells him it is not his meeting. Ralph is
surprised.
Frame 9
He informs Jack that he would have called a meeting.
All Jack did was to blow the conch for him. Ralph is
chief.
Frame 10
Jack challenges him again. Ralph is tired of Jack’s
games. He gives Jack the conch.
Frame 11
Jack informs the group that they have seen the beast.
The group speculates that the beast must come from
the trees, the sea or the darkness.
Frame 12
Jack explains that the beast is sitting on the mountain
waiting for something. Someone suggests the beast is
not waiting but hunting. Jack likes the idea that the
beast is a hunter and the beast becomes a hunter. If the
beast is a hunter then Jack can identify with it because
he is also a hunter. Jack now attacks Ralph. He informs
the group that Ralph has hurt his feelings, he has said
that the hunters are no good.
Frame 13
Ralph denies that he ever said the hunters were no
good Ralph just said the hunters will not be able to hunt
the beast. He did not say they could not do anything.
When Ralph interrupts Jack, Jack throws the rules at
Ralph. He has the conch so he can speak. Jack has
ignored that rule on several occasions. This proves that
Jack only does something when it suits him. He now says
many things that Ralph has never said. Jack associates
Ralph with Piggy. Everybody dislikes Piggy and if he can
make Ralph out to be like Piggy then maybe the group
will reject Ralph as well. Jack calls Ralph a coward
telling the group how Ralph stayed behind on the
mountain. Jack twists the truth so that it suits his purpose.
He and Roger did not go ahead on their own. Roger is a
hunter, he will never defy Jack.
Frame 14
Ralph can’t take this so he tells it the way it happened.
He ignores the rule of the conch. He realizes his
chieftainship is at stake. When the approach of making
Ralph out a coward, does not work, Jack points out to
the group why Ralph is different from them. He doesn’t
hunt, he is not a prefect. What do they know about
Ralph. How could people just sit and listen to him? Jack
is irrational. They are all strangers on the island. Ralph
has proven over and over that he is a good chief.
Frame 15
Ralph becomes tired of this insensible talk of Jack. When
Jack complains about the talking Ralph reminds him
that he, Jack, has called the meeting.
Frame 16
Jack thinks he is the bravest and the best that is why he
calls on the group to vote. He thinks that if he does not
want Ralph to be chief everybody else feels the same.
Frame 17
Nobody votes. Not even the hunters. Jack now feels all
the emotions he hates: shame, humiliation and
embarrassment. He realises he is not as popular as he
thought he was. He is the only one who dislikes Ralph.
He cries. Before he leaves he counts the hunters. He
decides to begin his own group where he will be chief.
Jack says he will not play with Ralph’s lot. However, they
were not playing anything. Everything that happened
was real. Maybe Jack does not fully comprehend their
situation on the island. He is ignoring reality.
Frame 18
Ralph tries to call Jack back. Jack looks at Ralph and
screams out “No!” This signifies his final breakage with
Ralph. This “no” indicates that Jack has finished listening
to Ralph.
Frame 19
Piggy talks for several minutes.
Frame 20
Ralph is not listening. Ralph is shocked that Jack has just
left. He hopes Jack will come back in the darkness. They
are all afraid of the dark. Piggy gets Ralph’s attention.
Frame 21
Piggy believes the unfavourable element has been
removed from the group. He believes Jack has been
the cause of all the unrest. With Jack gone, things
should be much better. They will now be able to
concentrate on getting rescued and forget about
hunting for a while.
Frame 22
It seems as if Ralph has given up hope. The fire is Ralph’s
hope and without the fire there is no hope of getting
rescued. Simon takes the conch to say something.
Frame 23
Simon suggest they climb the mountain again. Simon still
doubts the existence of the beast. He wants to see it.
Frame 24
Piggy reminds him that three boys saw the beast and
could do nothing. How will climbing the mountain
change things? Simon says there is nothing else to do.
Simon wants them to confront their fear. They must know
for certain what they are up against. All testimonies of
what the beast looks like have been very vague, even
the report from Ralph and Jack.
Frame 25
Piggy informs the group with great certainty that he
knows what Ralph is going to say next. In effect Piggy is
the leader behind Ralph. He is giving his ideas as if they
are Ralph’s ideas. He uses Ralph to make his ideas
acceptable. Piggy informs them the smoke is the most
im-portant thing. If they cannot have a fire on the
mountain, why can they not have a fire on the beach.
Frame 26
This suggestion lifted everybody’s spirit, even Ralph’s. He
has purpose again. They build the fire on the beach.
Littluns are dancing around the fire.
Frame 27
Ralph wants to make a list of biguns who must look after
the fire.
Frame 28
While they are making the fire, the rest of the biguns go
to join Jack. Piggy, Sam and Eric bring Ralph some fruit
to eat. They have a minor feast. Piggy reminds them all
that they will do well without Jack and the others. Things
will be better.
Frame 29
Ralph iss looking for Simon.
Frame 30
Simon is sitting in an open space, surrounded by
creepers. He is very, very thirsty but continues to sit there
as if he is waiting for something.
Frame 31
Far off on the beach Jack is standing be-fore a small
group of boys. He is brilliantly happy. He gives his first
speech as a chief. The hunters long ago sang like
an-gels, now they bunch together like savages. Jack is
not elected chief, he makes himself chief and nobody
protests. Jack informs them they will forget about the
beast. They will avoid the area of the beast. Jack also
informs them there will be no dreaming. With dreaming
he refers to hopes of being rescued. Jack has primitive
ideas which indicates his regression. He wants to leave
an offering for the beast.
This extract indicates that Jack has be-come part of the
forest. He is at home, as if he is in alliance with the island.
He finds the pigs easily. He is not the leader of a choir
who can sing C sharp, he is a savage, painted hunter on
an island.
Frame 33
“The pigs lay, bloated bags of fat, sensuously enjoying
the shadows under the trees. There was no wind and
they were unsuspicious; and practice had made Jack
silent as the shadows. He stole away again and
instructed his hidden hunters. Presently they all began to
inch forward sweating in the silence an heat. Under the
trees an ear flapped idly. A little apart from the rest, sunk
in deep maternal bliss, lay the largest sow of the lot. She
was black and pink; and the great bladder of her belly
was fringed with a row of piglets that slept or burrowed
and squeaked. Fifteen yards from the drove Jack
stopped; and his arm, straightening, pointed at the
sow.”
Jack’s selection of what they must kill shows how cruel
he has become. A real hunter would never kill a animal
with babies. Jack has no conscience, no feeling. He just
wants to kill and he will go for the biggest. This shows the
cruelty of Jack.
Frame 34
“”Now!”
The drove of pigs started up; and at a range of only ten
yards the wooden spears with fire-hardened points flew
towards the chosen pig. One piglet, with a demented
shriek, rushed into the sea trailing Roger’s spear behind
it. The sow gave a gasping squeal and staggered up,
with two spears sticking in her fat flank. The boys shouted
and rushed forward, the piglets scattered and the sow
burst the advancing line and went crashing away
through the forest.
“After her!”
They raced along the pig-track, but the forest was too
dark and tangled so that Jack, cursing, stopped them
and cast among the trees. Then he said nothing for a
time but breathed so fiercely that they were awed by
him and looked at each other in uneasy admiration.
Presently he stabbed down at the ground with his finer.
“There-----”
Before the others could examine the drop of blood,
Jack had swerved off, judging a trace, touching a
bough that gave. So he followed, mysteriously right and
assured; and the hunters trod behind him.
He stopped before a covert.
“In there.”
Frame 32
Jack leads them into the forest.
“They spread out, nervously, in the forest. Almost at
once Jack found the dug and scattered roots that told
of pig and soon the track was fresh. Jack signalled the
rest of the hunt to be quiet and went forward by himself.
He was happy and wore the damp darkness of the
forest like his old clothes. He crept down a slope to rocks
and scattered trees by the sea.”
LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P. 166,167).
Frame 35
The sow has run into the space where Simon sat. Simon
moved into the thicket and witnessed a terrible scene.
“Here, struck down by the heat, the sow fell and the
hunters hurled themselves at her. This dreadful eruption
from an unknown world made her frantic; she squealed
and bucked and the air was full of sweat and noise and
blood and terror. Roger ran round the heap, prodding
with his spear whenever pig flesh appeared. Jack was
on top of the sow, stabbing downward with his knife.
Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to
push till he was leaning with is whole weight. The spear
moved forward, inch by inch and the terrified squealing
became a high-pitched scream. Then Jack found the
throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The
sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and
fulfilled upon her. The butterflies still danced,
preoccupied in the centre of the clearing.
At last the immediacy of the kill subsided.”
The boys enjoy killing. They do it in a bloodthirsty
manner. They don’t think that they have to eat the
meat afterwards. They are savage.
Frame 36
Jack shows the boys his hands covered in blood. He
smears some of the blood on Maurice. Roger points out
that he has shoved his spear up the behind of the pig.
Roger and Maurice acts out how Roger killed the pig.
Frame 37
Jack gutts the pig. Jack wants to invite the rest for a
feast. He wants to show them that he has become chief
and he wants to prove to Ralph how efficient his hunters
are. They have killed a pig. Roger points out they have
no fire. Remember that Piggy is with Ralph and his
spectacles have only one glass left with which the fire
can be lit.
Frame 38
Jack decides they will steal fire. He is braking another
rule of society. Jack has broken many laws:

he ignored rules

he hit Piggy

he disobeyed authority (Ralph)

he is not dressed properly, he painted his face

he kills for pleasure

he is going to steal fire

he is going to leave an offering for the beast
All these are uncivilized actions.
Frame 39
Jack orders Roger to sharpen a stick at both ends. He
places the head of the pig on the stick and leave the
intestines on the ground below. He makes a formal
speech in where he gives this as an offering to the
beast. The beast has officially become their “god”. They
worship him out of fear, hoping it will not harm them. As
long as the beast leaves them alone they will be happy.
They run away after they have left the offering.
Frame 40
Simon immediately realizes that he has just witnessed
how the hunters have crossed the line from being
civilized to being uncivilized. The offering to the beast is
a mistake. The head of the pig “talks” to Simon, urges
him to forget what he has just witnessed. It tries to
convince it did not really happen, that Simon had a
vision. Simon recognises that this deed that Jack
committed was also committed by savages long ago.
Uncivilized people left offerings for beings that did not
exist. Simon is about to have one of his fits.
Frame 41
Ralph and Piggy are on the beach watching the fire.
They notice that a terrible storm is building. Ralph
confesses to Piggy that he is more afraid of the fire dying
than of the beast or anything else on the island. Ralph
believes irrevocably that the fire will rescue them, that it
is there only chance. It is there hope.
Frame 42
Ralph cannot understand why Jack is unable to
understand the importance of the fire. Ralph realizes it is
only his will that forces him to keep the fire going. If he
becomes like the rest, they will eventually forget about
getting rescued. They will turn into a savage tribe. Piggy
believes it is Jack who is causing the break up on the
island. He is right. It is because Jack has no respect for
rules. He has to keep himself happy. Jack is selfish. He
does not care about anybody or anything else as long
as he satisfies his own desires.
Frame 43
The hunters who come to announce the feast look
demoniac. They have become evil.
Frame 44
Jack makes his invitation to the feast. We find out the
real purpose of the invitation. He is going to tempt those
who have not yet joined him, with meat to join his tribe.
By succumbing to temptation, boys will join his tribe.
Only those strong enough to withstand temptation, will
not join. Jack has become evil.
Frame 45
The most important words here are the announcement
“The chief has spoken”. This is said in Ralph’s face. It is to
let Ralph know there is a new chief.
Frame 46
The temptation of meat is too strong. They decide to
attend the feast under the auspice of going to find out
more. They actually want meat.
Frame 47
Simon has a fit. In this fit he has a conversation with the
head of the pig. This vision that Simon has, reveals to him
that Jack is evil. If they don’t do what Jack tells them to
do, then they will be killed. The vision also reveals to him
that there is no beast on the island, it is the fear inside
them all. You cannot hunt the beast, and you cannot kill
the beast. The fear inside the boys created this beast.
Chapter 10 - The Shell and the
Glasses
Frame 1
Piggy watches the figure approaching. It is Ralph. He is
dirty, dead leaves hangs on his hair, one eye is a slit in his
puffy cheek. He has a great scab on his right knee.
Frame 2
Ralph peers at Piggy. He wants to know if Piggy is the
only one left. It is only Ralph, Piggy, Samneric and littluns.
The littluns do not count because they are not useful.
Frame 3
Piggy and Ralph sit down, facing the Chief’s seat. There
is not a chief anymore. What use is Ralph being chief
over three boys. They sit in silence for a long time before
Ralph mentions Simon’s name.
Frame 4
Ralph does not know what to do. He needs Piggy to
think for him. Piggy suggests Ralph call an assembly.
Frame 5
Ralph begins to laugh. He thinks it is very funny that he
should call an assembly for three boys. He is a chief
without a tribe. Ralph laughs at the fact that he has the
conch because the conch has lost all its meaning. If you
ignore authority, then it is no use.
Frame 6
Ralph informs Piggy that they have killed Simon the
previous night.
Frame 7
It is clear from Piggy’s reaction that he is not himself. He
knows they committed a murder but he refuses to
accept it. He blames everything else. He even urges
Ralph to forget about it. The old Piggy would have felt
terrible about the affair.
Frame 8
Ralph thinks that Piggy is not aware of what happened,
but Piggy is. Ralph also acknowledges here that he
actively took part in killing Simon. Ralph keeps on asking
Piggy if he did not see anything. Here we see clearly
that Piggy does not think as clearly as he should
because of the one broken glass. As long as Piggy had
both eyes to see with, his reasoning was impeccable.
With one glass broken, his judgement is clouded. He
says the murder was an accident. That is not what it
was. We can see clearly that even Ralph and Piggy
can’t escape the regression on the island.
Frame 9
Ralph knows Piggy’s judgement is clouded. Piggy wants
Ralph to forget about the whole thing.
Frame 10
Ralph realizes how terrible the situation is they are in. He
wants to go home desperately. He knows that they
need to get rescued. Piggy continues to try and
convince Ralph that they had no part in Simon’s death
and that it was Simon’s own fault.
Frame 11
Piggy lights the fire to keep their hopes alive.
Frame 12
Samneric arrive with a log to be put on the fire. They all
tell stories of how they were not at the feast, at least not
until the end. The murder of Simon is too much. Also,
Simon represented Conscience, and with Simon gone
there is no conscience left on the island.
Frame 13
Meanwhile at Castle Rock, Roger approaches the
entrance. One of the hunters challenges him and
demand to know who he is. Jack has put a log as a
lever under the huge boulder at the top.
Frame 14
Roger wants to know why he had to identify himself. It
was orders from Jack. The hunter on duty could just
press down on the log acting as a lever and the boulder
would roll down the path and crush the enemy. It is
obvious that the enemy on the island is Ralph’s lot.
Frame 15
Jack is also going to punish Wilfred and take the group
hunting again.
Frame 16
There is no reason for the punishment.
Frame 17
Roger realizes that Jack has a lot of power. Jack can do
whatever he wants for no reason whatsoever, and
nobody will challenge him because he is fearsome and
he is the chief. Jack also does not have to explain what
he does. He will use force to make his subjects follow
him. This may be why he is punishing Wilfred, to show the
rest what he is capable of.
Frame 18
Jack has a theory about the beast they killed the
previous night. According to him they did not kill Simon.
It was the beast. The beast came disguised in the shape
of Simon. Imagine if Jack is the only one who can
recognize the beast, he would be able to kill anybody,
with the excuse that it was the beast.
Frame 19
One of the hunters dares to ask if they did not kill Simon
or the beast. Jack is adamant. The beast cannot be
killed. The beast will visit them always but they will never
be able to kill it. They must just make sure they don’t
anger the beast.
Frame 20
For fire, they will steal from Ralph. They have become
real savages. There is no civil behaviour. If you want
something you take it. If you want to hurt someone, you
do so. There is no guilt about anything. Jack is hiding
behind the painted mask and he has no conscience.
He is free to satisfy the most basic of his desires.
Frame 21
On Ralph’s side they are making a fire for the night. They
admit that they need the fire for protection during the
night and as a signal. They are very afraid, and find it
difficult to sleep without a fire.
Frame 22
They utter the wishes for radios, boats and planes. They
want to make contact with the outside world. Even if
they are found by the enemy it will be better than to be
on an island with Jack. They don’t call Jack by his name
any more, they refer to Jack as “him”.
Frame 23
When the twins ask Ralph why they need to keep the
fire going, Ralph forgets momentarily. He needs to be
reminded by Piggy that it is for getting rescued. Maybe
Jack forgot a long time ago about civilization.
Frame 24
They decide to leave the fire for the night and go to a
shelter to sleep.
Frame 25
“Ralph settled himself for his nightly game of supposing...
Supposing they could be transported home by jet, then
before morning they would land at that big airfield in
Wiltshire. they would go by car; no, for things to be
perfect they would go by train; all the way down to
Devon and take that cottage again. then at the foot of
the garden the wild ponies would come and look over
the wall...
Ralph turned restlessly in the leaves. Dartmoor was wild
and so were the ponies. But the attraction of wildness
had gone.
His mind skated to a consideration of a tamed town
where savagery could not set foot. What could be safer
than the bus centre with its lamps and wheels?
All at once Ralph was dancing round a lamp standard.
There was a bus crawling out of the bus station, s
strange bus....”
Ralph’s thoughts are filled with civilization. It is obvious
that he wants nothing to do with anything that is
remotely wild. Ralph is woken from his dream by Piggy.
He was making strange sounds.
Frame 26
They notice Samneric fighting each other in the dark in
their sleep. They make them stop.
Frame 27
Piggy realizes the urgency of their rescue. When he
mentions it to Ralph, Ralph begins to laugh. Ralph is not
laughing because it is funny, he laughs because they
are in a helpless, desperate situation. He jokes that Piggy
can write a letter to his Auntie. Piggy complains that
there are no stamps or post offices on the island. Ralph
finds this more funny.
Frame 28
They suddenly hear voices calling Piggy outside. Piggy is
so scared that he gets an asthma attack. This gives
away their location.
Frame 29
There is a fight in the shelter. In the darkness Ralph and
Samneric fight each other while Jack and the others
leave.
Frame 30
Piggy is extremely upset at what has happened
Frame 31
Jack and the two hunters run back to Castle Rock.
Piggy’s spectacles are hanging from Jack’s belt. Jack
has broken all rules. He has no concern for Piggy. Piggy
will have to struggle in darkness. Jack is now in charge of
the boys’ destiny. He has the fire. Piggy (Reason) is
blinded.
Chapter 11 - Castle
Rock
Frame 1
Ralph is unable to light the fire. Jack has the spectacles.
Fire, used irresponsibly can be very dangerous. The fire
is now in the wrong hands.
Frame 2
Ralph is furious at the theft of the hunters. Piggy
acknowledges that he is blind. He wants a meeting so
that they can decide what to do.
Frame 3
Ralph blows the conch as loudly as he can. Only some
littluns came to join the meeting.
Frame 4
Piggy makes a speech. He acknowledges that awful
things have happened and that it has to stop.
Frame 5
Ralph makes his speech. He cannot understand why
Jack cannot understand about the fire. He agrees that
everything is Jack’s fault. It is clear to him that Jack will
not make a signal fire.
Frame 6
Ralph points out that Jack is not a good chief. He let
them miss the first ship. He is responsible for Simon’s
death. He stole fire. There was no reason for Jack to
steal fire from them. Ralph would have given him fire. In
Jack’s mind, Ralph has become an enemy.
Frame 7
Piggy wants to know what they are going to do. Without
his glasses he can’t think well. Ralph is also struggling
to think. He decides they will confront Jack with
civilization. They will clean themselves and remind Jack
of what he once was. The twins want to take spears for
protection.
Frame 8
Piggy refuses to take spears. Suddenly Piggy
recognises what happened on the island. He tells them
outright Simon was murdered, that the child with the
mark on his face was murdered. Making fun out of
serious events, resulted in death. The hunters laugh at
everything. They hide from reality.
Frame 9
Piggy decides it is time that Jack Merridew is confronted
with reality. Jack must take responsibility for his deeds.
He can’t just do what he wants.
Frame 10
Piggy will show Jack that he, Jack, has no authority.
The worst thing that Jack can do to Piggy is kill him.
Piggy hopes it will not come to that.
Frame 11
Piggy is reason. He believes that Jack will understand
reason. Jack will not, because he is emotion. Jack will
do what he likes. Piggy is going to make an appeal on
Jack’s integrity. Jack has no integrity.
Frame 12
Ralph promises to support Piggy. The twins warn them
that they will not meet Jack but the painted version of
Jack: The regressed Jack.
Frame 13
Ralph decides they will present themselves as they are.
They will do it for the sake of the fire.
Frame 14
When they arrive at the castle, the hunter on guard asks
them to identify themselves. If the beast goes around
disguising himself, the hunter can easily think that
Ralph, Piggy and Samneric are the beast. Ralph tells
the hunter he is silly. They want to see Jack. Ralph does
not know about Jack’s philosophy about the beast.
Frame 15
Jack comes up behind them. He has just returned with a
party of hunters from the forest. They have killed a pig.
Frame 16
He is upset to find Ralph there. He knows Ralph has
come to upset his tribe. He does not want to hear what
Ralph has to say. Jack does not want to hear about
responsibilities he is supposed to have.
Frame 17
Ralph orders Jack to give Piggy’s specs back. If Jack
shows that he still listens to Ralph then he loses respect
as a chief. His ultimate goal is to get Ralph out of his life
completely. He will not take any orders from Ralph.
Frame 18
Ralph should not have said “I say!”. He is the last
person on the island Jack would listen to. He makes
another mistake by calling Jack a thief. Jack is a thief,
but Jack won’t take insults like that. He is emotion, and
emotionally he has to act on an insult, whether it is the
truth or not.
Frame 19
Jack dares Ralph to insult him again. Ralph does. This
gives Jack the right to fight.
Frame 20
Ralph and Jack begin to fight each other with their
spears. Piggy tries to remind Ralph why they are there.
Frame 21
Ralph stops and points out the importance of the fire.
The hunters laugh when they here they might spend the
rest of their lives on the island. They have lost all
perspective. They live from moment to moment. It is as
if they have forgotten civilization and has no desire to be
rescued.
Frame 22
The hunters keep on laughing at Ralph’s reason. They
do not understand. They have regressed completely.
Frame 23
Jack gives the order that the twins must be grabbed. He
wants to show Ralph that he can do whatever he wants
to.
Frame 24
When the hunters grab the twins they also feel they can
do anything. There is nobody to tell them what is wrong
or what is right.
Frame 25
Jack wants to make sure Ralph understands what a
brilliant tribe he has.
Frame 26
Ralph insults Jack by calling him a beast. This is true.
Indirectly Jack is the beast. He is responsible for death
and fear.
Frame 27
Ralph attacks Jack. He wants to destroy this thing in
front of him. The hunters encourage Jack to get Ralph.
Frame 28
Piggy screams at the hunters to listen to him. He shows
them the conch. The symbol of authority, the law.
Somebody is throwing stones at Piggy.
Frame 29
Piggy gives the hunters a speech. The speech makes
sense. It is better to be sensible than to be savages.
The hunters boo him and more stones fly around him.
Frame 30
Jack has stopped fighting with Ralph, and they are all
booing Piggy and Ralph.
Frame 31
They hear a loud noise. Something was tumbling
towards them.
Frame 32
Roger has loosened the huge boulder. He is the one
throwing stones at Piggy. Piggy cannot see the boulder
but Ralph jumps out of the way.
Frame 33
The conch is crushed. There is no authority left. Piggy’s
body lands in pieces on the rocks. The sea washes him
away. There is absolute silence.
Frame 34
Instead of being shocked, Jack tells Ralph to expect the
same. All reason and sense have left the island. Murder
has become acceptable. Jack is glad he is finally chief.
Frame 35
Jack throws his spear at Ralph with the intention of
killing him. The spear wounds him in his side.
Frame 36
Ralph realises they are going to kill him. He runs away
with all the hunters after him, spear flying past him.
Frame 37
The hunters stop when Ralph enters the forest. They
are still afraid of the beast. What they do not realize is
that they are part of the beast. They are living with the
beast. Jack forces Samneric to join his tribe. Roger is
now known as a killer. The hunters know he has the
capability to kill.
Chapter 12 - Cry of
the Hunters
Event 1
“Ralph lay in a covert, wondering about his wounds.
The bruised flesh was inches in diameter over his right
ribs. with a swollen and bloody scar where the spear
had hit him. His hair was full of dirt and tapped like the
tendrils of a creeper. All over he was scratched and
bruised from his flight through the forest. By the time his
breathing was normal again, he had worked out that
bathing these injuries would have to wait. How could
you listen for naked feet if you were splashing in water?
How could you be safe by the little stream or on the
open beach?
Ralph listened. He was not really far from the Castle
Rock, and during the first panic he had thought he
heard sounds of pursuit. But the hunters had only
sneaked into the fringes of the greenery, retrieving
spears perhaps, and then had rushed back to the sunny
rock as if terrified of the darkness under the leaves. He
had even glimpsed one of them, striped brown, black,
and red, and had judged that it was Bill. But really,
thought Ralph, this was not Bill. This was a savage
whose image refused to blend with that ancient picture
of a boy in shorts and shirt.
FROM: GOLDING, W. 1991, LORD OF THE FLIES , PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY FAKENHAM
Ralph does not recognise the hunters. They have
changed into savages. He also realises he is now the
prey. The hunters do not see him as Ralph, but as a
prey that can be killed.
Event 2
Ralph creeps to the end and looks at Castle Rock.
Ralph sees Robert on duty. He sees smoke rising
behind Robert. The hunters are going to have a feast.
He will be safe for the time being.
Event 3
Ralph is safe for a while. He decides to find some fruit to
eat.
“He argued unconvincingly that they would let him
alone; perhaps even make an outlaw of him. But then
the fatal unreasoning knowledge came to him again.
The breaking of the conch and the deaths of Piggy and
Simon lay over the island like a vapour. These painted
savages would go further and further. Then there was
that indefinable connection between himself and Jack;
who therefore would never let him alone; never.”
Event 4
Ralph discovers the head of the pig on the stick. He
realises how far Jack has regressed. He destroys the
gift and takes the stick as a spear.
Event 5
He goes back to the thicket near Castle Rock. He feels
very alone. He realizes he cannot make peace with the
hunters even if he accepts Jack as chief. Ralph is an
outcast. Ralph is an outcast because he has sense. He
wants to be rescued. He behaves responsibly.
Event 6
He hears the chant of the hunters at the feast.
Event 7
Ralph climbs to the top. He sees two hunters on lookout
duty. He realizes it is Samneric.
Event 8
He talks to Samneric. Samneric chase Ralph away.
Event 9
They tell Ralph they have become savages because
they were forced.
Event 10
Samneric tells Ralph that nothing makes sense
anymore. Ralph will not be able to reason this out. Jack
and Roger hate Ralph. Ralph reminds them of what is
right, and what is good and sensible.
Event 11
Ululate means you go “la-la-la-la-la” with your hand in
front of your mouth. It is a sound characteristic of
primitive tribes. They are going to hunt Ralph like a pig.
Jack is going to leave Ralph’s head as a gift to the
beast.
Event 12
Ralph makes the mistake of telling the twins where he is
hiding.
Event 13
Ralph hears the hunters approach.
Event 14
He hears how one twin is forced to give up his position.
Event 15
“As he did so, he heard Jack’s voice from the top.
“Heave! Heave! Heave!”
The red rock that he could see at the top of the cliff
vanished like a curtain, and he could see figures and
blue sky. A moment later the earth jolted, there was a
rushing sound in the air, and the top of the thicket was
cuffed as with a gigantic hand. The rock bounded on,
thumping and smashing towards the beach, while a
shower of broken twigs and leaves fell on him. Beyond
the thicket, the tribe was cheering.
Silence again.
Ralph put his fingers in his mouth and bit them. There
was only one other rock up there that they might
conceivably move; but that was half as big as a cottage,
big as a car, a tank. He visualized its probable progress
with agonizing clearness - that one would start slowly,
drop from ledge to ledge, trundle across the neck like an
out-size steam-roller.
“heave! Heave! Heave!”
Ralph put down his spear, then picked it up again. He
pushed his hair back irritably, took two hasty steps
across the little space and then came back. He stood
looking at the broken ends of branches.
Still silence.
He caught sight of the rise and fall of his diaphragm an
was surprised to see how quickly he was breathing.
Just left of centre, his heart-beats were visible. He put
the spear down again.
“Heave! Heave! Heave!”
A shrill, prolonged cheer.
Something boomed up on the red rock, then the earth
jumped and began to shake steadily, while the noise as
steadily increased. Ralph was shot into the air, thrown
down, dashed against branches. At his right hand, and
only a few feet away, the whole thicket bent and the
roots screamed as they came out of the earth together.
He saw something red that turned slowly as a
mill-wheel. then the red thing was past and the
elephantine progress diminished towards the sea.
PRESS LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P. 237, 238).
Event 16
“Silence again.
Yet not entirely so. They were whispering out there; and
suddenly the branches were shaken furiously at two
places on his right. The pointed end of a stick
appeared. In panic, Ralph thrust his own stick through
the crack and struck with all his might.
“Aaa-ah!”
His spear twisted a little in his hands and then he
withdrew it again.
“Ooh-ooh----”
Someone was moaning outside and a babble of voices
rose. A fierce argument was going on and the wounded
savage kept groaning. Then when there was silence, a
single voice spike and Ralph decided that it was not
Jack’s.
“See? I told you - he’s dangerous.”
PRESS LIMITED, FAKENHAM, NORFOLK, (P. 238, 239).
Ralph will kill to stay alive. He is defending his life. Jack
sets the thicket on fire and Ralph has to start running.
The hunters joke about the smoke signal going up.
Event 17
Ralph is running for his life. The savages make a
cordon across the island. Ralph has three options to
take. He cannot decide which option to take. Eventually
he is chased onto the beach, with the savages closing
in on him.
Event 18
Read the last three pages of the book. When the officer
asks who is in charge, Jack does not come forward.
Ralph has to take responsibility. The soldier cannot
believe that a group of British boys could have become
so savage. The officer also realises that Ralph tells the
truth when he says two boys have been killed. Ralph
cannot explain what has happened to them.
Ralph cries because of the darkness there is in man’s
heart and because he lost Piggy, the only true friend he
had on the island.
QUESTIONS
THE SOUND OF THE SHELL
1. Why did the boys leave England?
2. How was their plane damaged?
3. Explain how the boys managed to escape from the plane?
4. What happened to the pilot and the other grown-ups?
5. Describe the vegetation on the island.
6. Describe the weather on the island.
7. Describe the sea surrounding the island.
8. Describe the rocks on the island.
9. What is significant about the shape and apparent movement of the island?
10. What is the shell that Ralph finds a symbol of?
11. What does Ralph use the shell for?
12. Describe the choir.
13. What do the following characters represent?
13.1. Ralph
13.2. Piggy
13.3. Jack
13.4. Simon
13.5. Sam and Eric
13.6. Roger
FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN
1. Make a list of what they discovered about the island.
2. How does Jack feel about the island?
3. What is the first rule on the island?
4. What is Jack’s reaction to the rules?
5. How does Piggy view their situation on the island?
6. What is Ralph’s view on their situation on the island?
7. How must they spend their time on the island according to Jack?
8. What is the outstanding feature about the little boy complaining about a beast?
9. What is the significance of this outstanding feature?
10. How does Ralph feel about the existence of the beast?
11. Why is the little boy unable to give a clear description of the beast?
12. How does Ralph handle the situation of many boys being suddenly afraid of something unknown?
13. How does Jack undermine Ralph’s authority with what he says?
14. How does Ralph assure the children that rescue is possible from the island?
15. How do Jack and the other children react when they hear about the fire?
16. What is the difference between the reaction of the children and the reaction of Piggy?
17. How does Piggy solve their problem with lighting the fire?
18. Why does Ralph want more rules on the island?
19. Why does Jack want more rules on the island?
20. Name three things the children should have considered before building the fire.
21. What are the after effects of the fire?
HUTS ON THE BEACH
1. What upsets Ralph about the behavior of the boys?
2. Why is Ralph building shelters and what do the shelters represent?
3. What does the collapsing of the hut represent?
4. What is significant about the way Jack hunts and his appearance?
5. Ralph and Jack have two different goals. What are these goals?
6. How does Ralph feel about the hunters?
7. What is the difference between building shelters and hunting?
8. How do some of the boys behave on the island during the night?
9. What does Simon say, is wrong with the island?
10. What does Jack sometimes experience when he goes hunting?
11. Where does this feeling Jack have, come from?
12. How do you know Simon is not afraid?
13. Why is Simon the only one helping Ralph with the shelters?
PAINTED FACES AND LONG HAIR
1. Why did Percival cry for two days in a shelter?
2. Describe the three groups on the island.
3. Describe what the littluns do to keep busy.
4. Why do Roger and Maurice break the sandcastle without feeling guilty?
5. Why does Roger not hit Henry with the stones he throw?
6. What effect does the painting of his face have on Jack?
7. Why do some of the hunters run away from Jack?
8. Why is Piggy discussing the building of a sundial with Ralph?
9. What predicament does Ralph find himself in when there is no smoke on the mountain?
10. How do you know that Ralph is inherently good?
11. Describe how Jack and his hunters have regressed.
12. Why does Jack hit Piggy?
13. How does Ralph assert his chieftainship?
14. How does Jack feel about the ship they have missed?
15. Why doesn’t Jack give Piggy any meat and then decide to do?
16. What is the implication of Piggy’s broken specs?
17. How do the hunters advertise their regression?
BEAST FROM WATER
1. What insight did Ralph come to when he was walking along the beach?
2. Describe the seating at the meeting and say what it signifies?
3. What does Ralph realize must a chief be able to do and who does it better than him?
4. What is Ralph’s aim with the meeting?
5. Set up the agenda Ralph would have used at this meeting.
6. How do the boys on the island feel about dirt?
7. How does Ralph feel about the hunting of pigs and the fire?
8. Why are things breaking up on the island?
9. Who does Jack blame for the fear and how does the suggest should they cope with fear?
10. How does Piggy explain the origin of fear?
11. What does Piggy want to prove by asking the littluns about the beast?
12. Why can Percival’s story about the beast not be trusted?
13. Why did Percival say the beast came from the sea?
14. What is Simon’s theory about the beast?
15. Why is a ghost the ideal beast?
16. Why can you say Jack is causing the break-up on the island?
17. Why would they have had it if Ralph blew the conch and they did not come back?
18. Why does Ralph need a sign from the grown ups?
BEAST FROM AIR
1. Who were watching the fire on the mountain?
2. What do the relationship these two boys have, symbolize?
3. What lands on the island?
4. Why do the boys run down the mountain?
5. Describe the beast the twins say they saw.
6. What does Piggy suggest must they do when he hears about the beast?
7. What does Jack say they must do?
8. How does Ralph’s leadership become eminent in this situation?
9. Does Jack care about the littluns? Give a reason for your answer.
10. Where do they go and look for the beast?
11. Why does Ralph allow Jack to lead?
12. Why does Ralph go first when they reach Castle Rock?
13. Why does Ralph not like Castle Rocl as a fort?
14. Why can’t Ralph reminisce about the past with Jack?
15. Why does Ralph want to find out about the beast as soon as possible?
SHADOWS AND TALL TREES
1. When is Ralph able to forget about he beast?
2. How is regression evident in Ralph’s appearance?
3. What is the biting of nails a sign of?
4. How does looking at the sea make Ralph feel?
5. Simon tells Ralph he will get back home. What does this tell you about Simon?
6. What is Ralph dreaming about when they start out with the pig hunt?
7. How does Ralph feel about hunting after he wounded the pig?
8. Who is Berengaria?
9. What is the dance they do after the hunt a symbol of?
10. Why does Simon offer to go and tell Piggy they will be late?
11. Why is it not a good thing for Simon to leave now?
12. Why is Jack feeling antagonistic towards Ralph?
13. How does Jack challenge Ralph’s leadership?
14. Why is it more sensible not to climb the mountain?
15. Why does Jack insist to look for the beast?
16. Why does Ralph ask a witness to accompany them?
17. Prove that Ralph is braver than Jack.
18. How do you k now they are not sure of what they saw?
19. What makes them run down the mountain?
GIFT FOR DARKNESS
1. Give the reason why Piggy asks Ralph so many times if he is sure about the beast.
2. Who does not want them to get rescued?
3. What is the truth about Jack’s hunters?
4. What is significant about Jack’s action of blowing the conch for a meeting?
5. Why does Jack think the beast is a hunter?
6. How is Jack trying to usurp Ralph’s leadership?
7. Why doesn’t the boys vote for Ralph not to be chief?
8. Why does Jack leave Ralph’s group?
9. Why is Jack crying?
10. Why does Simon suggest they must climb the mountain and why does he turn to Piggy for help when he suggests it?
11. Why is Piggy talking with more assurance at this meeting?
12. How does Piggy give the boys new hope?
13. Why is Ralph suddenly eager to have a list?
14. Why is Jack suddenly brilliantly happy?
15. Why are they going to dream less on Jack’s side of the island?
16. How does Jack plan to lure more biguns to his side?
17. How does Jack suggest they cope with the beast?
18. What does Jack’s choice of which pig to kill, tell you about his state of mind?
19. Why must the hunters put on paint before they raid the others for fire?
20. What is the gift for the beast a sign of?
21. Why does Simon think this is a dangerous business?
22. Why didn’t Jack want to steal the conch?
23. What does Simon come to understand about thebeast?
24. Who is completely controlled by the beast?
A VIEW TO DEATH
1. What atmosphere does the description of the weather conditions create?
2. What is Simon planning to do when he asks “What else is there to do?”
3. Why is it dangerous for Simon to go and try tell the children about the beast?
4. What did Simon find on the mountain?
5. Why does Piggy want to go to the party?
6. What have the boys made of Jack?
7. How did Ralph feel part of the group?
8. How does Jack show to Ralph that he, Jack, is a brilliant chief?
9. How do you know Ralph has lost his authority over Jack?
10. What does Jack say will the boys in his group do?
11. What is Jack’s solution to fear?
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Why are they able to chase the fear away with their dance?
Which desire rises from the chant they scream?
What are the boys compared with when they kill Simon?
What happens to the parachute on the mountain?
Why did Simon’s body disappear?
What is significant about the way his body disappears?
What do the boys on the island lack now that Simon is dead?
THE SHELL AND THE GLASSES
1. Why did Piggy suspect Ralph may have changed?
2. Why are they both staring at the chief’s seat?
3. Why is Ralph laughing at Piggy when Piggy tells him to call an assembly?
4. Why doesn’t Piggy want Ralph to talk about Simon’s murder?
5. What is it that they did that Ralph is so terribly shocked about?
6. What does Ralph know that Piggy does not know because Piggy is unable to see?
7. Why is Piggy blaming Simon for his own death?
8. Why is Ralph afraid of themselves?
9. Why do Ralph, Samneric and Piggy pretend they were not at the dance?
10. What horrors of the island must Jack’s tribe hold out against?
11. Why is Roger fascinated with the idea of Jack punishing Wilfred?
12. Why is Jack afraid of Ralph?
13. How does Jack explain the death of Simon to his hunters?
14. What has the beast become?
15. What was the double function of the fire for Ralph’s group?
16. What would be better than to be captured by Jack?
17. Why is Ralph tired of wildness in his dreams?
18. What does Piggy think came to get him?
19. What did Jack’s group come to steal from Ralph and why?
20. Why did Jack not steal the conch?
CASTLE ROCK
1. What does it mean now that Piggy is blinded?
2. Why must Ralph blow the conch as loud as he can?
3. Why does Ralph sound as if he is defeated?
4. What is so terrible about the fact that Jack stole the spectacles?
5. Why does Ralph want to go to them all washed and cleaned up?
6. Why do the twins want to take spears?
7. With what does Piggy want to go to Jack? Why will it not work?
8. Why are the twins afraid of the painted Jack and what do they mean with they will have had it if Jack gets waxy?
9. How does Jack react to Ralph’s visit?
10. Why will Jack never give back Piggy’s glasses?
11. Jack is a thief. Why does he get angry when Ralph calls him one?
12. How do the savages react to Ralph’s speech about the fire?
13. Why does Jack grab the twins?
14. What was Ralph’s final insult to Jack?
15. What was Roger doing while Piggy gave his speech?
16. Why didn’t Piggy’s speech make an impression on the hunters?
17. Why did Roger kill Piggy?
18. What was removed from the island when Piggy died?
19. How did Jack react to the killing?
20. What happened to the savages once the conch broke?
21. What do they mean when they say the ‘hangman’s horror’ surrounded Roger?
CRY OF THE HUNTERS
1. Why didn’t Ralph want to go and wash his wounds?
2. Why did Ralph say Bill was not really Bill?
3. Why was Ralph bitter when he remembered the feast?
4. Why would the savages not leave him (Ralph) alone?
5. What is the tribe’s “daylight sanity”?
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Why was Ralph filled with sick fear when he saw the pig’s head on the stick?
Why was Ralph an outcast?
Why did the twins join the tribe?
The twins joining the tribe was the final destruction of what?
Who hates Ralph and why?
Why did Roger sharpen a stick at both ends?
How did Jack find Ralph?
How did Jack try to get Ralph out of the thicket?
When that failed, what did Jack do?
Which options did Ralph have to avoid the savages?
Why was Ralph upset about the fire that Jack started?
Why did Jack stay back when the officer asked who was in charge?
What is ironic about the smoke the officers saw?
Why did the officer believe Ralph when he said two boys were killed?
Why did Ralph cry?
Who in the book portrayed the darkness of man’s heart?
THE SOUND OF THE SHELL
World War II was in progress. Boys in England were evacuated for safety.
They were attacked by another plane.
The plane was equipped with a detachable passenger tube that was released when the plane was attacked.
They were killed.
There were creepers and trunks of broken trees. The undergrowth was full of drops of water.
The weather was hot and humid
The sea was clear and calm. There was a lagoon. A reef surrounded the island. behind which the waves broke.
The rocks were huge and had a pink colour. The pink suggests flesh. The island seem alive.
The island is in the shape of a boat. It looks as if the island is moving backward. The island is moving backwards in
time with the children on the island its passengers. Children will regress rather than progress.
10. Law, order and authority.
11. He blows on the shell and all the lost children come to them.
12. The choir is dressed in black coats. They are very orderly. Jack is in charge of the island. They wear black caps.
They have silver crosses on their coats.
13. Ralph: goodness, will of man, democracy.
Jack: Emotion, personal desires, the darkness of man’s heart, anarchism, autocratic government.
Piggy: Reason, logic, science, the adult world.
Simon: Conscience, prophetic views, insight.
Sam and Eric: Loyalty
Roger: Pure evilness.
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Answers FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN
1. They were on an uninhabited island. There were no grown-ups. There were pigs to hunt and lots of fruit to eat. It
looked like a good island.
2. Jack feels it is a good island where they can hunt and have fun.
3. If somebody wants to say something he must put his hand up, take the conch and speak. Only the person with
the conch may speak.
4. He is very enthusiastic. He wants to have many rules.
5. Nobody knows they are there. How will people know where to find them? They are in a desperate situation.
6. They will be rescued. His father will come and rescue them. They must just be patient.
7. Hunt.
8. He has a mulberry coloured birthmark on his cheek.
9. He will be remembered.
10. There isn’t a beast.
11. He is just afraid and he saw it in the dark..
12. He wills them that there is no beast.
13. After the children belief Ralph, Jack says the beast may exist and if it does, he and his hunters would kill it.
14. He says his father is in the navy and the queen has a room full of maps with all the islands on it. They must just
be patient and wait.
15. They ran up the mountain to begin it.
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The children run off without Piggy. Piggy acts like a grown-up. He would have liked to plan the fire.
He has glasses that they can use..
He wants order.
He just wants to show he agrees with Ralph. He wants to sound important.
Shelters, where the littluns are, they burnt down all their food and they have to plan before they act.
A little one is killed. Most of their firewood is burnt as well as fruit.
HUTS ON THE BEACH
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They like to have meetings and decide things but they do not adhere to the decisions.
The shelters are there for protection. The other boys are too lazy to build shelters. Shelters represents civilization.
Ralph finds it difficult to establish civilization on the island.
Jack is regressing fast. He is becoming wild like the island.
Jack wants to hunt a pig. Ralph wants to keep the signal fire going.
They can hunt but maybe they must work some to. Do some of the responsible jobs. Hunting is fun, not work.
Building shelters is responsible work and hunting is fun.
They scream and have nightmares.
The island is not good.
He is being hunted by something else.
Inside Jack. Jack is afraid.
He walks around on the island alone.
Simon will feel guilty if he does not help Ralph. It is morally correct to help Ralph.
PAINTED FACES AND LONG HAIR
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Percival is homesick and afraid. He misses home and he is forgetting things about home. He is afraid.
The biguns consist out of Ralph, Jack, the hunters, Sam and Eric, Piggy and Simon. The middle ones are boys like Maurice. The
littluns are all the littluns on the island like Henry, Johnny and Percival.
They pick fruit, green fruit. Suffer from diarrhoea and huddle together in the shelters at night. They build sand castles with roads
and railways and that keeps them busy.
There are no adults to admonish them.
Civilization prevents him from hitting Henry. He is still too much aware of the rules of civilization.
Jack becomes a different person. He feels liberated from the constraints of society. He can hide behind the mask/
They are afraid of this stranger. With the painted face Jack becomes something to fear.
Time is a cornerstone of civilization. If they have time on the island there will be more organisation. Piggy wants to civilize the
island.
He does not have Piggy’s specs to light the fire. Must he run up and hope there is still some live fire to light a fire or must he run
down to Piggy first and maybe miss the ship.
The worst word in his vocabulary is “bloody”.
They are almost naked. Jack’s face is painted. They are chanting a song about death. They have spears. Jack is exited about
blood.
He hates the sense that Piggy talks. Piggy reminds Jack of his responsibilities and he does not want to hear it.
He stands on the spot where the old fire was and forces them to find a new spot for the fire.
He feels nothing.
15. He dislikes what Piggy has said. Simon makes him feel guilty and he gives meat to Piggy.
16. His reasoning is diminished. If the groups ever split there is only one glass to light fire with.
17. They begin a primitive dance and chant.
BEAST FROM WATER
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He became aware of dirt and decay.
The hunters sit on the right. They do not agree with Ralph. The rest of the boys on the left, they agree with Ralph.
Piggy stands outside to show he does not agree with things and wants to observe.
Think. Piggy is a better thinker.
He wants to restore order.
Welcome
Intention of meeting
Points for discussion
Assemblies
Shells
Shelters
Lavatory
Fire
Fear
They laugh about it.
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The fire is more important.
They are afraid.
The littluns. They should put up with the fear.
They are afraid of people.
There is no beast. Everything happens for a reason.
He is emotionally unstable.
He is a vicar’s son. He must have heard it in a sermon about Revelations where the beast comes from the sea.
They are the beast.
You cannot destroy it.
Ghosts are not realistic. Piggy represents reason.
He disobeys the rules.
Ralph would have no authority.
They would stay there forever and hunt.
He wants his hope that they will be rescued confirmed.
BEAST FROM AIR
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Sam and Eric
Loyalty.
A dead parachutist.
They are afraid of the strange sound they hear.
It has wings. claws. teeth, is fury and has terrible eyes.
Restrict their movements and stay away from the beast.
Hunt the beast.
He makes the decisions on how they will act and what they will do.
No. He says “good riddance” if the beast gets them and he doesn’t mind leaving them there on their own.
The tail end part of the island where Jack has not been.
It keeps Jack happy and Ralph can rest a little.
Jack is afraid and it is Ralph’s responsibility because he is chief.
It is a rotten place.
Too many things happened since they landed on the island and they belief in different things.
The signal fire is out and he wants to lit it.
SHADOWS AND TALL TREES
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If you pretend not to hear the sound of the sea and if you can forget about wildness of the island.
His hair is long and filthy. He is biting his nails.
Ralph is experiencing stress.
Helpless and hopeless.
Simon knows what will happen in the future.
He is dreaming about Davenport. A place he was very happy.
He thinks it is not that bad.
She is the wife of Richard I of England. She saved her husband’s life by sucking a wound made by a poisoned arrow.
Anarchism.
He is not afraid.
He would have the bravery to see if there really is a beast on the island, now he leaves.
He hates Ralph because Ralph is chief and orders him around.
He says he will climb the mountain even if Ralph is too afraid to do it.
It is dark, they won’t see anything. They can’t light the fire.
He wants to prove he is more brave than Ralph.
Jack may lie about what happens at the top and it is silly for only two to go up.
He goes forward to see what Jack thinks there is. Ralph has the courage to stand and try face the beast.
It is dark and ashes blew into their eyes.
The dead parachutist sits up.
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Piggy finds it difficult to believe something as unreasonable as a beast really exists.
The beast.
They really are just boys armed with sticks.
He does what only the chief is supposed to do. He is going to challenge the chief.
Jack can then associate himself with the beast.
He tries to tell the boys Ralph is a coward and Ralph behaves like Piggy.
They know Ralph is a good chief and Jack is dangerous.
He is embarrassed that nobody chose him. He wants to be chief.
He is embarrassed and humiliated.
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GIFT FOR DARKNESS
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They have to make sure. Piggy is reason he should support Simon.
Jack is not there to inhibit him.
They must build the fire on the beach.
He wants to know how many are still in his group and who will watch the fire.
He is chief.
Jack will not dream about rescue.
Give a feast with meat.
Ignore it and give it part of their kill.
He has no morals or respect for life.
They hide behind the paint,
Anarchism.
He realises how far Jack has regressed.
He disobeys it anyway.
The beast is in them and has already taken over some of the boys.
Jack.
THE SHELL AND THE GLASSES
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He is afraid Ralph may have changed after the horrible dance they had and Simon’s murder.
Ralph is not chief anymore. There is no chief.
There is nobody to call to the assembly.
Simon is not there to make Piggy feel guilty. It does not help Ralph to feel guilty either. It is as if Piggy has lost his
grip on reality.
The way they killed Simon. The savage biting and stabbing upset Ralph.
Ralph knows it was murder. Ralph knows how regressed and savage the hunters are.
Somebody has to be blamed. Simon should not have been alone in the dark.
It they can deny that they killed Simon. then they can accept worse events.
They don’t want to admit to being part of a murder. They don’t want the guilt.
Fear and Ralph’s group.
Roger realises Jack has an authority where he does not have to answer to anybody about what he does.
He is afraid Ralph will tell Jack to start behaving. Ralph can spoil Jack’s tribe and civilize them again.
Simon was the beast. The beast disguised itself as Simon.
Immortal.
They need it for protection and as a signal.
They can be captured by the enemy, the reds.
He is tired of Jack. He wants to get away from what Jack represents. He wants a civilization without savages.
The beast.
The spectacles. They want to be in control.
He does not need the conch.
A VIEW TO DEATH
18.
A sinister, evil atmosphere.
Climb the mountain to look for the beast.
It is dark. The children are crazy with fear. There is blood caked on his face so they will not recognise Simon
immediately.
The dead parachutist.
He wants to make sure nothing wrong happens.
A “god”.
They burnt Piggy and he laughed with the children at Piggy.
He has provided meat for all and he just orders something and it happens.
Jack listens to nothing Ralph says. He will even ignore the conch.
Hunt and have fun.
Do the dance.
They become one as a group. They feel safe in numbers.
The desire to kill.
An animal or beast. They have claws and they bite.
It is blown off the mountain to the sea.
All evidence of his murder is removed. Nobody can now prove that he was killed.
It shows Simon was good, almost holy. Creatures that look heavenly carefully removes him.
Conscience.
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He is not suppose to be able to reason.
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CASTLE ROCK
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He must establish his authority again.
He has lost hope. The fire was his hope.
He stole it like a thief. There will be no signal fire.
He wants to present civilization to them.
They want to defend themselves. They suspect the savages will not respond to reason.
Reason. Jack does not listen to reason. He will not feel guilty about anything he has done.
The painted Jack is not the original leader of the choir. He is different. If he gets real savage, he does what he wants
to.
He is angry.
Ralph told him to.
He is emotional. He is supposed to get upset.
They laugh at him.
He wants to show Ralph he can do what he wants. There is no law to stop him.
Ralph calls Jack a beast and a swine. He compares Jack to one of the pigs he hunt. He is completely uncivilized.
Throwing Piggy with stones.
They do not understand reason anymore.
He wanted to stop him. He wanted to destroy civilisation.
Civilization and reason.
He warned Ralph the same would happen to him. He condoned it.
With the conch gone there are no more laws and Ralph is no chief.
Roger is associated with an executioner. He can kill.
CRY OF THE HUNTERS
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He would not be able to hear if the hunters sneak up on him.
He did not recognise the painted Bill, he differed to much from the Bill that originally landed on the island.
He remembered Simon’s death.
Ralph still represented civilization. That which is good.
In the daylight they see things clearer and cannot hide in the darkness.
He realised how far Jack has regressed.
He was civilized, he wanted to get rescued. He would never be able to forget who he was.
They were forced to join the tribe.
Loyalty.
Roger and Jack. Ralph represented the opposite of what Jack and Roger wanted.
Jack was going to put Ralph’s head on a stick after he killed him.
He forced the twins to betray Ralph.
He rolled two heavy rocks on the thicket.
Jack set fire to the thicket as well as the whole island.
He could climb a tree, he could hide really well or he could break the cordon of savages.
Jack was destroying all the fruit on the island and all the firewood.
He was not prepared to take responsibility for what he has done.
It is Jack’s smoke signal that saved them and not Ralph’s.
He knew when people were telling the truth and when not.
He cried for the loss of innocence. the darkness in man’s heart and the death of Piggy.
Jack.

lord of the flies study guide

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